But the 27-year-old irritated the Philippe Chatrier Court crowd by refusing to carry out the traditional on-court television pleasantries, claiming her voice was not strong enough.

She said she had been suffering from a cold in a worrying repeat of last year when she was also sick in the run-up to Paris.

“I totally understand that everyone usually does the interviews and answers a few questions to the crowd,” said Sharapova, who was also champion in 2012 and runner-up in 2013.

“It’s absolutely normal. I’m not making any excuses but I’ve got to do what I have to do.”

There were no such problems for British third seed Andy Murray, twice a semi-finalist, who took his clay record this season to 11-0 with a 6-3, 6-3, 6-1 win over Argentine ‘lucky loser’ Facundo Arguello.

Murray, with claycourt titles in Munich and Madrid, goes on to face either Canadian world number 53 Vasek Pospisil or Portugal’s 44th-ranked Joao Sousa.

“Always the first round of the majors is tough and it was quite windy and difficult conditions at the start,” said Murray.

“I was a little bit nervous at the start but I like that, it shows that you care and want to do well.”

Ex-world number two and 2012 Wimbledon runner-up Agnieszka Radwanska was a shock first-round loser.

The Polish 14th seed, a quarter-finalist in 2013, went down 6-2, 3-6, 6-1 to Germany’s Annika Beck, a player she defeated 6-0, 6-0 when they met at Indian Wells last year.

The loss was only the third time in 34 Grand Slam tournaments that 26-year-old Radwanska had lost in the first round.

“Maybe I’m getting older,” said the tearful Pole.

World number four Tomas Berdych, a 2010 semi-finalist, continued his solid claycourt season with a 6-0, 7-5, 6-3 win over Japanese qualifier Yoshihito Nishioka, the world number 146.

Berdych will now face 36-year-old Davis Cup-winning teammate Radek Stepanek, who became the oldest man to win a match at Roland Garros since 38-year-old Jimmy Connors in 1991 when he saw off Croatian journeyman Ivan Dodig 5-7, 6-3, 6-4, 6-1.

Spain’s 11th seed Feliciano Lopez was the biggest men’s casualty when he lost to Russian world number 74 Teymuraz Gabashvili, 6-3, 7-6 (11/9), 6-3.

Australia saw their three brightest prospects all make it to the second round.

Nineteen-year-old wildcard Thanasi Kokkinakis defeated Georgia’s Nikoloz Basilashvili 3-6, 6-4, 7-6 (7/4), 6-2 while 27th seed Bernard Tomic saw off Italy’s Luca Vanni 6-3, 3-6, 6-3, 6-4.

Kokkinakis and Tomic will face off for a place in the third round where top seed Novak Djokovic will likely be

waiting.

Nick Kyrgios, the 29th-seeded Australian who beat Roger Federer in Madrid earlier this month, eased past Denis Istomin of Uzbekistan 6-3, 6-4, 6-3.

Spanish eighth seed Carla Suarez Navarro, a quarter-finalist in 2008 and 2014, beat Romania’s Monica Niculescu 6-2, 6-2.

German 11th seed Angelique Kerber, the champion on clay in Charleston and Stuttgart, needed just 50 minutes to brush aside Timea Babos of Hungary 6-0, 6-1.

Former world number one Victoria Azarenka, who missed last year’s Roland Garros through injury, marked her return by beating Spain’s María-Teresa Torró-Flor 6-2, 6-1.

Croatia’s Ana Konjuh, the youngest woman in the draw at 17, made the next round with a 6-1, 6-4 win over Russian qualifier Margarita Gasparyan.

Four American women exited although they were guaranteed a winner later in the day when 34-year-old Venus Williams, playing in her 18th Roland Garros, was meeting Sloane Stephens.

Meanwhile, a record was set in the clash between Denisa Allertova of the Czech Republic and Britain’s Johanna Konta.

Their first set tiebreak, which went 19/17 in favour of the Czech, was the longest in tournament history.