Townsend, who had beaten Gauff in their only previous meeting in 2019, broke in the opening game.
The 30-year-old held on her first two service games, but from 3-1 up in the opener, won only one more game. That was at 3-5 down in the first, when Townsend saved a set point on Gauff’s serve but dropped serve immediately to lose the set and that ended her resistance.
Gauff galloped through the second set in 24 minutes and will face Egyptian Mayar Sherif in the next round.
Gauff applied ice during breaks in the cauldron of Philippe Chatrier but said that was only because her coach told her to.
“I’m from Florida so this is nothing,” the fourth seed said on court. “Honestly I felt more bad for the fans. You’re watching in the heat and I hoped no one passed out. So I’m glad I finished quickly.”
Meanwhile, world number one Aryna Sabalenka hurried through a 6-4, 6-2 win against Spanish world number 50 Jessica Bouzas Maneiro to begin her bid for a first-ever Roland Garros crown.
The only real blip for Sabalenka as she returned to winning ways on clay after a surprise early exit from the Italian Open was her failure to serve out the match on Court Philippe Chatrier.
But the four-time major winner broke in the next game to book her spot in the second round against France’s Elsa Jacquemot.
“I’d say that for me always not easy, the first rounds,” Sabalenka said. “And then, as I get further in the tournament, as I get more comfortable, my level becomes better.” (AFP)