Halep through French first round

With Serena Williams pregnant and Maria Sharapova not playing, as she didn't qualify off her suspension, Simona Halep was looking like the prohibitive favorite in the French Open, as she was playing really well.  Unfortunately she stumbled in the final of the Italian Open and tore an ankle ligament, putting her fitness into question.   The first round of the French would be a test.

Well, she tested out fine today, with a 6-3, 6-3 win over J. Čepelová.  And both Kerber and Konta were ousted in Round 1,  so she's got a good path to the later rounds.

If her ankle holds up.  On her side of the draw, the biggest challenge is likely to come from Pliskova. Of course, there's always a good chance in the French of an obscure clay court specialist plowing through to the semis.

Eugenie Bouchard also won her first-round match.