Japan's Yuma Kagiyama scored a season's best 100.64 in the men's short programme in Grenoble ©Getty Images

Japan's Yuma Kagiyama got his bid for a second International Skating Union (ISU) Grand Prix of Figure Skating series event win of the season off to a perfect start as he holds a comfortable lead in the men's competition at the Internationaux de France.

The world silver medallist triumphed at the Gran Premio d’Italia in Turin earlier this month and took a lead of more than 11 points after the men's short programme at the Patinoire PoleSud in Grenoble.

He scored a season's best 100.64 points skating to Michael Bublé "When You’re Smiling", hitting a quad Salchow-triple toeloop, a quad toeloop and triple Axel.

"My short programme hasn’t been going so well in my previous competitions," Kagiyama admitted.

"Coming in, I was wondering if there will be another disappointment, but after my practice and six-minute warm-up, I gained confidence that I might do well today.

"There are some things I regret, but even with mistakes I got a 100 points and I think that shows my growth."

Latvia's Deniss Vasiljevs is his nearest challenger with 89.76, while American Jason Brown notched 89.39.

Anna Shcherbakova leads a Russian one-two-three after the short programme in the women's event in Grenoble ©Getty Images
Anna Shcherbakova leads a Russian one-two-three after the short programme in the women's event in Grenoble ©Getty Images

World champion Anna Shcherbakova of Russia leads in the women's singles, scoring 77.94 on a new short programme routine to "Dangerous Affairs" and Total View by Inon Zur.

Her compatriot Alena Kostornaia, winner of the 2019-2020 ISU Grand Prix Final, was next best with 76.44, with another of her team-mates in Kseniia Sinitsyna placing third, although she was further back with 69.89.

Russia's skaters also occupy the top two positions after the pairs short programme, with Aleksandra Boikova and Dmitrii Kozlovskii leading on 77.17, and Iuliia Artemeva and Mikhail Nazarychev scoring 73.02.

Representing hosts France, four-time world champions Gabriella Papadakis and Guillaume Cizeron put themselves into a very strong position at the top of the ice dance leaderboard.

Performing to John Legend's "Made to Love" and "U Move, I Move", they posted a season's best 89.08 in the rhythm dance.

"It was nice to be in Grenoble at the Grand Prix and with our French audience and to feel their support," Papadakis said.

"We did a very good performance, we are happy with what we did, we are happy with the scores and look forward to tomorrow."

Canada's Piper Gilles and Paul Poirier were the second-best skaters on the first day of the Grand Prix with 81.35, while Russia's Alexandra Stepanova and Ivan Bukin notched 79.89.

The Grand Prix winners will be decided tomorrow with the women's, men's and pairs free skating and the free dance in the ice dance.