Tennis: A baked clay day at Roland Garros; a chance for the local Europeans and South Americans to nibble on their favourite chunk of the Grand Slam cookie; a tournament, too, where big names fear the shadows, where the one constant is the cluster of heavyweight names consigned to tennis Boot Hill.

Neither Pete Sampras, with 14 Grand Slams, nor seven-time Major champion John McEnroe, despite years of effort, won here.

In yesterday's theoretical first round separation of the wheat from the chaff, it was Roger Federer who was blown away in the breeze. The Swiss player, seeded five, faced unseeded, unfancied and, frankly, unheard of Peruvian opponent Luis Horna - and flinched.

Having won the first clay court tournament of the season in Munich without dropping a set, and reaching the final of the Italian Open at the beginning of May, Federer arrived as a supercharged shooter playing on a surface which complements his game.

With a 2003 record of 38-8, compared to Horna's 8-10 (the best being a quarter-final loss in Buenos Aires back in February), Federer was also seen as a serious player in the handful who had been tipped as possible candidates to walk out on Philippe Chatrier Centre Court on the last Sunday.

"I knew the danger," said Federer. "I definitely think I helped him. He definitely didn't play a bad match but I didn't play a good match."

Lugubrious and confused, the 22-year-old finished his day's work at a loss to explain how, after a 7-6(8-6), 6-2, 7-6(7-3) defeat, he has begun to be called the paper champion.

"People were saying, 'Who is the first seed you're playing?' I told them, 'You guys have to relax a little bit, because I'm not playing a bad guy in the first round.' Here I am now sitting here trying to explain it."

The mildly charming Federer has now bombed out in the first round of three of his five Roland Garros efforts, last year to Hicham Arazi in three sets. That marked the beginning of a period during which he lost his first match in five of eight events, including Wimbledon.

For Horna, who last month became a father for the first time to the quaintly named moon-child Luna Horna, it is the best win in a career of little global dimension.

"Nothing compares to this. Centre Court, French Open, first time here, just being a father, all the things. If I don't say that, it is a lie," said Horna.

Relying on a driving forehand, the lively runner took advantage of a missed overhead by Federer to take the first set in a tiebreak 7-6 (8-6).

The blow appeared to dispirit the younger man, who went on to play what transpired to be a shocking 6-2 middle set, before Horna again snatched the third on a tiebreak 7-6(7-3).

So the wheat departs and the chaff remains for others to pick.

The first round of women's matches progressed without the major seeds being trampled. First up and on court for only 58 minutes, Serena Williams continued to vigorously chase a fifth successive Grand Slam to equal Steffi Graf's run from the Australian Open of 1988.

The world number one, who began the season winning her first 21 matches, has - in the healthiest sort of way - become a virtual dominatrix on court. Walloping and volleying Germany's Barbara Rittner into mistakes she shouldn't have made, and ultimately tying her in knots 6-2, 6-1, Williams actually lost her second service game as she bossed her way directly into round two.

"I thought it was pretty upsetting that I had to lose serve there, as I didn't really want to lose serve this tournament. Yeah, right," she said afterwards.

That thought ought to whither a few hopes in the top half of the draw.

But maybe not those of Belgians Kim Clijsters and Justine Henin-Hardenne, or French hope Amelie Mauresmo, who have inflicted the three most recent losses on Williams. Clijsters plays today, while fifth seed Mauresmo and fourth seed Hennin-Hardenne came through their matches with more relief than ease.

Mauresmo, a gentle and cerebral personality off court, has flavoured this competition with paralysis and grief too often now for the French to stoke up the fires in the first week. Still, the glossy cover girl of the Roland Garros magazine has reached the semi-final of her last two majors, Wimbledon and the Australian Open.

Despite that, she made hard work of compatriot Virginie Razzano 6-3, 7-5, while 2001 semi-finalist Henin-Hardenne did much the same against Patricia Wartusch. Hitting an uninspiring 35 per cent of her first serves midway through the second set, the Belgian, foraging more than controlling, fought from 3-5 down to win 6-4, 7-5.

In the overall mix, an out-of-shape 2000 champion, Mary Pierce, went out 6-2, 6-3 to Clarisa Fernandez, while the men's second seed Andre Agassi kept the over-30s flag aloft with a no-nonsense, 6-2, 6-3, 6-3 win over Karol Beck.

Yevgeny Kafelnikov also advanced in three sets.

Results in SPORTS ROUND-UP