French Open 2018: Sunday Results, Highlights, Scores Recap from Roland Garros

Grigor Dimitrov was among the high-profile picks who advanced to the second round as the 2018 French Open got underway Sunday at Roland Garros, beating Mohamed Safwat 6-1, 6-4, 7-6 (1) to head through.

Elsewhere, 26th seed Damir Dzumhur beat American Denis Kudla in straight sets as his tournament got off to a bright start, and Gael Monfils edged French countryman Elliot Benchetrit 3-6, 6-1, 6-2, 6-1.

In the women's singles, 32nd seed Alize Cornet moved on to the second stage of the competition after she came back from a set down to beat Sara Errani, while fourth seed Elina Svitolina beat Ajla Tomljanovic 7-5, 6-3.

Anett Kontaveit continued her fine season with a three-set victory over Madison Brengle, and No. 10 seed Sloane Stephens hammered Arantxa Rus 6-2, 6-0.

Read on for a roundup of Sunday's action from the opening batch of fixtures at the 2018 French Open.

Sunday's Results

Men's Singles

Radu Albot bt. Gregoire Barrere: 4-6, 0-6, 7-5, 6-1, 6-2

(26) Damir Dzumhur bt. Denis Kudla: 6-4, 6-2, 6-2

(4) Grigor Dimitrov bt. Mohamed Safwat: 6-1, 6-4, 7-6 (1)

Jared Donaldson bt. Nicolas Jarry: 6-3, 4-6, 3-6, 6-3, 6-4

(32) Gael Monfils bt. Elliot Benchetrit: 3-6, 6-1, 6-2, 6-1

Women's Singles

(25) Anett Kontaveit bt. Madison Brengle: 6-1, 4-6, 6-2

(26) Barbora Strycova bt. Kurumi Nara: 1-6, 6-3, 6-4

(4) Elina Svitolina bt. Ajla Tomljanovic: 7-5, 6-3

Ekaterina Makarova bt. Saisai Zheng: 6-4, 6-1

Petra Martic bt. Yafan Wang: 6-2, 6-3

Jennifer Brady bt. Amandine Hesse: 6-1, 6-1

(32) Alize Cornet bt. Sara Errani: 2-6, 6-2, 6-3

(10) Sloane Stephens bt. Arantxa Rus: 6-2, 6-0

Recap

An incredible turn of events early on at Roland Garros meant Safwat got a surprise matchup with world No. 5 Dimitrov on Sunday after Viktor Troicki was forced to pull out through injury.

The Egyptian was particularly valiant in his late efforts to pull the match back but finally succumbed 6-1, 6-4, 7-6 (1). In doing so, he claimed a piece of French Open history and no small amount of national pride, per BBC Tennis:

Dimitrov will face Jared Donaldson in the second round after the American got the better of Nicolas Jarry, battling through adversity to glance a five-set duel 6-3, 4-6, 3-6, 6-3, 6-4.

Monfils' French Open win record is the best he boasts at any Grand Slam, and he ensured his 2018 tournament saw a positive start following victory over Benchetrit.

Neither player impressed mightily in the opening set, Benchetrit losing his serve twice while Monfils conceded break on three occasions, but experience won out in the end as the younger Frenchman departed the contest, via the Tennis Channel:

Dzumhur was dominant in his straight-sets stroll over Kudla, but the same couldn't be said for Radu Albot, who persevered to beat Gregoire Barrere 4-6, 0-6, 7-5, 6-1, 6-2, having turned his performance around after the second set.

Svitolina was among the most impressive performers on the opening day of the women's competition, and Tomljanovic couldn't live with her pace as she fell in straight sets. The Ukrainian is looking to follow up her Rome Masters win with a triumph at Roland Garros, as noted by tennis writer Jose Morgado:

One of those who could stop her recent roll of form is Kontaveit, who survived a slight shake against Brengle to emerge a 6-1, 4-6, 6-2 victor, and Thomas Cluck projected the Estonian to lay down a marker in Paris:

Stephens hardly looked as though she broke a sweat as she decimated Dutch underdog Rus 6-2, 6-0, where she won 90 percent of her second-service points, while her opponent was successful with only two of her nine, per Flashscore.com.

Barbora Strycova (26) and Cornet (32) each lived up to their billings as seeded stars in the competition and beat Kurumi Nara and Errani, respectively. Strycova will face Ekaterina Makarova in the second round after the Russian confidently defeated Saisai Zheng 6-4, 6-1.