French Open: Rafael Nadal made light of the windy conditions to take his place in the second round of the French Open today.
The defending champion beat 20-year-old Brazilian qualifier Thomaz Bellucci 7-5 6-3 6-1 in two hours and 34 minutes to stay on course to become the first man since Bjorn Borg to win four consecutive singles titles at Roland Garros.
It was Nadal's 22nd consecutive victory in the tournament and, after being stretched in the first set when he lost his serve twice, he was in total control of a match which had started in the rain last night before being called off at 1-1 in the first set.
Bellucci, a left-hander with promising groundstrokes, could hardly have had a more difficult assignment for his debut in a Grand Slam and he was betrayed by nerves when he double faulted on set point in the first set to hand Nadal the initiative.
The Brazilian tried to increase the aggression in the second set but Nadal was in the groove and in the third set the Spaniard's power became overwhelming.
Nadal now plays another left-hander, French qualifier Nicolas Devilder, in the second round.
Latest French Open Results
Men's Singles First Round
(prefix number denotes seeding)
Marin Cilic (Croatia) beat Robin Haase (Netherlands) 7-6(6) 6-2
7-6(4)
Marat Safin (Russia) beat Jean-Rene Lisnard (Monaco) 6-7(5)
6-1 6-3
6-2
Martin Vassallo Arguello (Argentina) beat Feliciano Lopez
(Spain) 7-6(1) 6-4 3-6 4-6 6-3
30-Dmitry Tursunov (Russia) beat Daniel Brands (Germany) 6-2
6-4
7-5
Bobby Reynolds (U.S.) beat Thierry Ascione (France) 7-6(2)
4-6 6-3 6-2
Mardy Fish (U.S.) beat Agustin Calleri (Argentina) 6-7(6) 6-4
6-2
6-4
Juan Ignacio Chela (Argentina) beat John Isner (U.S.) 2-6 3-6
7-5 6-3
6-4
26-Jarkko Nieminen (Finland) beat Marc Lopez (Spain) 2-6 6-3
6-4 6-3
David Marrero (Spain) beat Victor Crivoi (Romania) 6-3 6-3
5-7
6-4
Fabrice Santoro (France) beat Evgeny Korolev (Russia) 7-6(3)
6-1 6-4
5-David Ferrer (Spain) beat Steve Darcis (Belgium) 6-3 6-4
6-3
25-Lleyton Hewitt (Australia) beat Nicolas Mahut (France) 6-4
6-2 6-4
Jiri Vanek (Czech Republic) beat Jesse Huta Galung
(Netherlands) 6-3 7-5 6-2
21-Radek Stepanek (Czech Republic) beat Gilles Simon (France)
6-2 6-4 6-1
Juergen Melzer (Austria) beat Peter Luczak (Australia) 6-3
6-2 6-4
Marcos Daniel (Brazil) beat 23-Juan Carlos Ferrero (Spain)
6-7(5) 2-2 retired
Women's Singles First Round
(prefix number denotes seeding)
27-Katarina Srebotnik (Slovenia) beat Virginia Ruano Pascual
(Spain) 6-4 6-2
Casey Dellacqua (Australia) beat 9-Marion Bartoli (France)
6-7(4) 6-3 6-2
Marina Erakovic (New Zealand) beat Tathiana Garbin (Italy)
6-7(9) 6-3 6-3
26-Flavia Pennetta (Italy) beat Tatiana Perebiynis (Ukraine)
6-3 6-2
Magdalena Rybarikova (Slovakia) beat Karolina Sprem (Croatia)
7-6(3) 3-6 8-6
7-Elena Dementieva (Russia) beat Vera Dushevina (Russia)
6-7(6) 6-0 6-2
1-Maria Sharapova (Russia) beat Evgeniya Rodina (Russia) 6-1
3-6 8-6
Vania King (U.S.) beat Violette Huck (France) 4-6 6-2
6-1
Olga Govortsova (Belarus) beat Yuliana Fedak (Ukraine) 7-5
2-6 6-3
Akgul Amanmuradova (Uzbekistan) beat Yanina Wickmayer
(Belgium) 6-2 7-5
Marta Domachowska (Poland) beat Rossana De Los Rios
(Paraguay) 3-6 6-3 6-1
Bethanie Mattek (U.S.) beat Madison Brengle (U.S.) 6-3 2-6
6-4
Sanda Mamic (Croatia) beat Michaella Krajicek (Netherlands)
6-4 6-3
18-Francesca Schiavone (Italy) beat Jill Craybas (U.S.) 6-3
6-2