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French Open 2013: Jo-Wilfried Tsonga, Sloane Stephens advance to 2nd round
Jo-Wilfried Tsonga in action against Aljaz Bedene during their first round match of the French Open, Monday May 27 2013. PHOTO/Michel Spingler/AP
(Reuters) – French favorite Jo-Wilfried Tsonga barely broke sweat as he brushed aside Slovenian Aljaz Bedene 6-2 6-2 6-3 to book his place in the second round of the French Open on Monday.
The sixth-seeded Tsonga, the last French man to reach a grand slam final at the Australian Open in 2008, will next take on either compatriot Paul-Henri Mathieu or Finn Jarkko Nieminen.
Tsonga, who could run into second seed Roger Federer in the quarter-finals, simply had too much power and pace for Bedene, who was playing his only second grand slam match.
Tsonga ended the contest on his first match point with a service winner.
Meanwhile Sloane Stephens of the United States beat Zhang Shuai of China 6-4 6-0 to sail through to the second round.