Julien Benneteau cruises past Matthew Ebden in Sydney

Julien Benneteau has reached the second round of the Sydney International after securing a 6-2 6-2 victory over Matthew Ebden.

The Frenchman dominated the court from the opening game, holding his serve and nabbing a vital break in the first set, which kept his opponent on the backfoot.

Ebden could only grab two games in the first set, leaving himself with the task of a comeback in the second, but Benneteau kept up the pressure after taking the lead.

It was eventually a formality for Benneteau, who knocked the Australian native out of the competition with ease.