Williams, Nadal eye milestones

PARIS — No matter how much success they’ve had over the years, and to this day, SerenaWilliams and Rafael Nadal both profess to deal with doubts.

Both began this FrenchOpenwith straight-set victories against overmatched foes in Court Philippe Chatrier onMonday.

And both have something significant at stake over the coming two weeks: a chance to equal a record for Grand Slam singles titles. Williams already has 23, the most by anyone in the professional era; one more will allow her to tie Margaret Court’s all-eramark.

Nadal began his attempt to pull even with rivalRogerFederer for the most by a man, 20, by beating Egor Gerasimov of Belarus 6-4, 6-4, 6-2.

His 2020 debut at a place he’swon 12 trophies didn’t change Nadal’s view of things at this pandemicpostponed event: It’s colder than usual, the balls are heavier than usual, he’s had less preparation than usual.

“The conditions are completely different,” he said, “than any other Roland Garros thatwe played.”

Still, Gerasimov would have been forgiven for choosing the same metaphor to describe Nadal that Williams’ opponentcameupwith: “a runaway train.”

Williams played just OK in the opening set, and then was terrific in the second of a 7-6 (2), 6-0 win over 102nd-ranked Kristie Ahn.

ThemanNadalbeat in the last two finals, Dominic Thiem, won his first match since winning the U.S. Open, advancing to the second round with a 6-4, 6-3, 6-3 victory over 2014 U.S. Open champ Marin Cilic. This, too, was a rematch fromNewYork.

Thiem will next face qualifier Jack Sock, who beat Reilly Opelka 6-4, 6-4, 6-3 and was one of at least six men from the U.S. to get to the second round; only one did a year ago in Paris.