Impressive Hewitt storms past Mirnyi at French Open

PARIS, May 29 (Reuters) Former world number one Lleyton Hewitt crushed Max Mirnyi of Belarus 6-3 6-1 6-3 in the first round of the French Open today.

World number 54 Mirnyi had no answer to Hewitt's fierce returns. The Australian former Wimbledon and U.S. Open champion broke twice in each of the first two sets.

Hewitt, who has reached the semi-finals of his last two claycourt events, then broke in the fifth game of the third set to set up a meeting with either former champion Gaston Gaudio of Argentina or Frenchman Marc Gicquel.

REUTERS SAM BST0028