Rafael Nadal launched his bid for a record-extending 14th French Open title with a straight-sets win over young Australian Alexei Popyrin on Wednesday (NZ time) but it was not as routine as the 6-3 6-2 7-6(3) scoreline suggests.
The Spaniard was quickly into the old routine against the hard-hitting 21-year-old but Popyrin should have become the first person to take a set off on Parisian clay since Dominic Thiem in the 2019 final.
Nadal, seeded third this year as he chases a record 21st Grand Slam title, was not firing on all cylinders but came through the tiebreak easily to make it 26 sets won in succession at the French Open.
Frenchman Richard Gasquet awaits Nadal in Thursday's second round when the Spaniard will celebrate his 35th birthday.
World women's number one Ash Barty fought through a hip injury and a tricky opponent in American Bernarda Pera with a 6-4 3-6 6-2 victory on her return to the French Open.
Returning to the Philippe Chatrier court for the first time since her maiden Grand Slam win in 2019, the 25-year-old Australian seemed to be cruising against the 70th-ranked Pera when she was up 5-2 in the opening set.
But an injury seemed to start bothering Barty, who skipped the clay court Grand Slam last year amid the COVID-19 pandemic, as her movement appeared restricted.
Barty managed to close out the opening set in her first meeting against the American but Pera's confidence grew and she managed to raise her level to level the match.
The Australian, who retired from the quarter-finals in Rome last month due to problems in her right arm, improved after receiving medical treatment on her back before the deciding set.
Men's world number one Novak Djokovic kicked off his campaign with a routine 6-2 6-4 6-2 win against American Tennys Sandgren in the first men's match to be scheduled in a night session.
With no spectators allowed on Philippe Chatrier court due to a 9pm local curfew, the Serbian went through the gears as he dispatched his opponent seemingly effortlessly.
Djokovic, who is chasing a 19th major title and looking to narrow the gap to 20-time Grand Slam champions Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer, showed some signs of frustration in the second set but world number 66 Sandgren was never close to bothering him.
The third set was a mere formality as Djokovic, who won his only Roland Garros title in 2016, won five games in a row in what resembled a training session.
He next faces Uruguay's Pablo Cuevas on his way to a potential semi-final showdown with 13-time French Open champion Nadal.
Reuters
