PARIS, France - Reigning French Open champion Garbine Muguruza breezed into the second round with a straight sets win over Francesca Schiavone on Monday.
Muguruza's middling form this season saw her arrive in Paris with just three wins on clay, but the Spaniard dispatched the 2010 Roland Garros champion 6-2, 6-4.
The fourth seed will meet Estonia's Anett Kontaveit for a place in round three as Schiavone, who turns 37 in June, bid farewell to the tournament for the final time ahead of her retirement at the end of the year.
"I cannot believe in the first round we have two ex-champions. Not only that but Francesca is a legend and I was very excited to play on Philippe Chatrier court with her," said Muguruza.
"I like to take my chances and be aggressive and today that wasn't going to be different."
Muguruza defeated Serena Williams to win her maiden Grand Slam a year ago, but the 23-year-old needs to return to the final to stay in the world's top 10.
"I know I played good here before, but that doesn't make me extra confident this year. I have to play well to earn that confidence again," she said.
Muguruza lost to Kontaveit at Stuttgart in April, although the Estonian is through to the second round of a Grand Slam for just the second time.
Canadian fifth seed Milos Raonic raced into round two with a routine 6-3, 6-4, 6-2 victory over Steve Darcis of Belgium.
Raonic, whose best run at the French Open came when he made the 2014 quarter-finals, fired 15 aces and 44 winners to book a meeting with Mikhail Youzhny of Russia or Brazil's Rogerio Dutra Silva.
Jelena Jankovic's 54th consecutive Grand Slam maiden draw appearance was a fleeting one as the three-time French Open semi-finalist was consigned to a first-round exit by Dutch qualifier Richel Hogenkamp.