PARIS - Victoria Azarenka marked her return to Roland Garros with a win on Monday, easing past Spain's Maria-Teresa Torro-Flor 6-2, 6-1 in the first round.
Belarus' Victoria Azarenka won easily in the first round of the French Open on May 25, 2015, dropping just three games
Azarenka missed last year's clay-court Grand Slam during a season hindered by a foot injury but she is seeded 27 this time around and her class eventually shone through against her tenacious opponent on Court One.
The Belarusian needed just one hour and 19 minutes to get the better of the 131st-ranked Torro-Flor, who started well enough but never recovered from being broken in the fifth game of the first set.
Torro-Flor saved three break points but Azarenka eventually took the game on her fourth opportunity, broke again in game seven and then took the set 6-2 on her first set point when her opponent hit a return out.
Torro-Flor then repelled two break points right at the start of the second set but again Azarenka persisted and converted the third opportunity before losing just one more game as she saw out a comfortable victory.
The two-time Australian Open champion Azarenka has also recently battled through a bout of depression that followed a split with her long-term boyfriend as well as a parting of ways from her coach.
Her low seeding has her on a third-round collision course with top seed Serena Williams but first she must get the better of either China's Saisai Zheng or Lucie Hradecka of the Czech Republic.