Swiatek starts French Open bid

Iga Swiatek begins her bid to become the first woman in 16 years to successfully defend the French Open title on Tuesday as Novak Djokovic remained defiant after controversially weighing in on the Kosovo crisis. World number one Swiatek, a two-time champion in Paris, faces Moldovan-born Cristina Bucsa of Spain as she looks to emulate Justine Henin, the last back- to-back women’s winner at Roland Garros in 2007. The 21-year-old Pole arrives in Paris shrugging off a thigh injury suffered in Rome. “Luckily nothing serious happened. I’ll be good for my first round. That’s the most important thing for me,” she said.