Monica Seles kept her emotions in check as she demolished Australia's Annabel Ellwood 6-0, 6-2 in the first round of the French Open yesterday.

Her father died 12 days ago and Seles eyes misted as she paused for a few moments before admitting she needed to play at Roland Garros. ''It was just too tough for me to stay at home,'' said Seles, who took time off the ATP tour to help nurse her father Karolj in his battle against stomach cancer.

''It was better for me to come here and take it each day as it comes. It's just a matter of being away from the house, where there were so many memories around every corner.

''So many things, so many people coming up, so many of my dad's friends. Sooner or later I'm going to have to get over that hurdle. Right now I don't want to deal with it.''

Seles dominated the women's game, winning 11 Grand Slam trophies with her dad as her coach and mentor before she was stabbed at the age of 19 by a knife-wielding maniac on a Hamburg court in 1993. She returned after 27 months of traumatic recuperation to win the Australian Open title. But now she has an even bigger incentive - to add another trophy to her already glittering haul at the tender age of 24.

''It's been a tough 15 months for my family,'' said Seles,'' again fighting back the tears, ''but my dad would love me to play.

''This is what I want to do for the next big part of my life. Hopefully, I can just focus on it.

''My dad's health made me realise what life is. I just wish my dad could have seen the end of my career and a lot of other things.''

Seles was accompanied to Roland Garros by her mother, Esther, and new coach Gavin Hopper. ''I miss my mom, so it's her first time here in five or six years. It's really great,'' said Seles. ''I don't think I could have come if she hadn't come. It's really nice to be here together. We talked with dad about Gavin. Dad was really the first one to mention him. I was happy they got to know each other quite well in a very short period of time.''

Meanwhile, Andre Agassi, twice runner-up at Roland Garros, crashed out in the first round to 6ft 4in, 18-year-old Russian qualifier, Marat Safin.

Agassi lost 5-7, 7-5, 6-2, 3-6, 6-2 and then emerged at a post-match press conference with his right shoulder strapped up, casting doubt over his pre-Wimbledon preparations.

He revealed the injury had impaired his shot-making throughout the latter part of the match and hinted that he would now need to play a grass court tournament before Wimbledon. It is almost certain that will be the Stella Artois Championship at Queen's Club.

He said: ''I felt like I was playing well and, without the shoulder injury, I would not have been as stressed. I could get away with my serve but, as the match wore on, to win the points got very difficult.

''Having said that, it didn't hinder me in many aspects of the game. My gut feeling is I have some inflammation in the shoulder which has got irritated by hitting big shots for the last week, but I suspect it will be OK.

''Some things you can control. Some things you can't control but I gave it my best shot and maybe next year things will be different.''

Safin now plays Brazil's defending champion, Gustavo Kuerten, who earlier beat Frenchman Charles Auffray 6-0, 6-2, 6-2.

World No.2 Petr Korda was another big name to fall at the first hurdle last night.

The Australian Open champion, and second seed, fell in five gruelling sets 6-0, 6-2, 3-6, 4-6, 6-3 to Argentine Mariano Zabaleta, who is ranked a mammoth 211 places below the volatile player from the Czech Republic.

Zabaleta failed to win a single ATP Tour match in 1997 but his clay court pedigree shone through.