Mauresmo starts off with easy win

PARIS, May 30 (Reuters) Amelie Mauresmo, who has often struggled at the French Open, scored a 6-0 7-5 first-round win over American Laura Granville today.

The athletic Frenchwoman, making her 13th consecutive appearance in the grand slam event where she has never gone beyond the quarter-finals, was irresistible in the first set.

Wimbledon champion Mauresmo, 27, who returned earlier this month after being out for two months due to appendicitis, then sealed victory with a smash on her first match point.

The former world number one, seeded fifth here, gave Granville no chance in the opening set.

The world number 70 bounced back to lead 3-0 in the second but Mauresmo was soon in control, winning five games in a row and eventually setting up a second-round match with compatriot Nathalie Dechy.

''I had a great start but then I could not maintain that pace and she was able to fight her way back into the match,'' said Mauresmo, who suffered early exits in Berlin and Rome but then boosted her morale by reaching the Strasbourg final last week.

''After that I was able to take command again. I'm quite satisfied with my match. There were some good things in there.'' REUTERS TB KN2100