Kyrgios claimed his maiden ATP title in Marseille last year and appears intent on another strong showing after brushing aside his Tunisian opponent.

One break was enough to clinch the opener, before a blistering start to the second saw him open up a 4-0 lead to lay the foundation for victory, wrapping up the win with his 12th ace of the match.

"I had a tough Australian Open, so I was looking forward to coming back here," he said. "It's where I won my first ATP World Tour title and I have great memories from this court. 

"The crowd is always great, I love playing in Marseille, so I'm happy to be back."

Six of the eight seeds at this event are French and it was a good day for the home contingent as Gilles Simon, Richard Gasquet and Lucas Pouille all progressed.

Simon's 6-2 2-6 6-3 triumph came against compatriot Julien Benneteau, while Gasquet and Pouille saw off Mikhail Youzhny and Aljaz Bedene respectively in straight sets.

Earlier in the day, Daniil Medvedev knocked out eighth seed Benoit Paire to reach the second round, where he will face Jan-Lennard Struff.