Williams and Agassi get off to a perfect start

SERENA WILLIAMS got the successful defence of her French Open title off to the perfect start on the opening day as she streaked into the second round with a 6-2, 6-1 win over Barbara Rittner of Germany to be joined by rivals Amelie Mauresmo and Justine Henin-Hardenne.

Former men’s champion Andre Agassi also showed top form, taking his year record to 24 wins for only two losses with a 6-2, 6-3, 6-3 win over Karol Beck of Slovakia.

Agassi now faces Croatian Mario Ancic, who was leading Chilean former world number one Marcelo Rios 6-1, 1-0 when the South American withdrew through injury.

Serena’s 29th straight Grand Slam win and Agassi’s saunter saw the formbook largely respected but it was well and truly upset when men’s fifth seed Roger Federer slumped out to Peruvian Luis Horna, who won their meeting on the Philippe Chatrier showcourt 7-6 (8/6), 6-2, 7-6 (7/3).

There was another shock among the men when experienced 49th-ranked Slovak Dominik Hrbaty ousted 10th-seed Paradorn Srichaphan of Thailand 6-4, 3-6, 6-0, 7-5.

Spanish qualifier Galo Blanco downed twice finalist Alex Corretja 5-7, 6-3, 6-0, 7-5.

Carlos Moya of Spain, the 1998 men’s champion who had expected to meet Federer in the quarters, defeated Filippo Volandri of Italy 7-6 (9/7), 4-6, 6-2, 6-3 to set up a meeting with either Philippoussis or American Alex Kim.

Also moving through was 1996 champion Yevgeny Kafelnikov of Russia, who destroyed Julien Boutter of France 6-1, 6-2, 6-4.

Kafelnikov, 29, mulled retirement after winning the Davis Cup with Russia last year but has a new spring in his step after making the semi-final in Rome.

Back among the women, fourth seed Henin-Hardenne beat Patricia Wartusch of Austria 6-3, 7-5.

Belgium’s Henin-Hardenne, who came here with the German Open under her belt after ousting compatriot Kim Clijsters in the final a fortnight ago, now meets Croatian Jelena Kostanic.

Serena, looking to emulate Steffi Graf’s 1988-89 achievement of capturing five straight Slam singles titles, took just 53min to see off Rittner.

“It’s nice to be out there where all the magic began last year,” said Serena, who beat elder sister Venus in last year’s final and then went on to land Wimbledon and the US Open.

“It’s nice to have all the fans cheering me out there. I feel like I’m where I’d like to be,” said the 21-year-old, who next faces Switzerland’s Marie-Gaiane Mikaelian, a 6-3, 4-6, 7-5 winner over Indonesia’s Angelique Widjaja, last year’s junior champion.

Serena came to Paris after defeats to Henin-Hardenne in Charleston and France’s Mauresmo in Rome and that pair bar her route to the final.

Fifth seed Mauresmo, who ousted compatriot Virginie Razzano 6-3, 7-5, is the American’s potential quarter-final opponent while Henin-Hardenne could end up as her semi-final rival.

Mary Pierce, the women’s champion in 2000, failed to survive the opening round as Clarisa Fernandez of

Argentina dealt the Frenchwoman a 6-2, 6-3 defeat.