Tsonga breezes past Bedene

Paris - Local favourite Jo-Wilfried Tsonga barely broke sweat as he brushed aside Slovenian Aljaz Bedene 6-2 6-2 6-3 to book his place in the second round of the French Open on Monday.

The sixth-seeded Tsonga, the last French man to reach a grand slam final at the Australian Open in 2008, will next take on either compatriot Paul-Henri Mathieu or Finn Jarkko Nieminen.

Tsonga, who could run into second seed Roger Federer in the quarter-finals, simply had too much power and pace for Bedene, who was playing his only second grand slam match.

The 28-year-old Frenchman ended the contest on Court Suzanne Lenglen on his first match point with a service winner.