Rafael Nadal, sporting a bright pink shirt, began his campaign for a historic fifth successive French Open title on Monday. He will now face either Igor Kunitsyn or Teimuraz Gabashvili, both Russians, for a place in the last 32.
The Spanish star, who came into the French Open having lost his 33-match clay court winning streak to Roger Federer in Madrid, was forced to battle against the 30-year-old Daniel, especially in the first two sets.
Top-seeded Rafael Nadal looked his usual dominant self in the first round, beating Marcos Daniel of Brazil 7-5, 6-4, 6-3 for his 29th straight in on the red clay at Roland Garros.
The win bettered the mark held by Bjorn Borg, who won 28 straight from 1978-81. Nadal also equaled the overall tournament record, matching the 29 straight that Chris Evert won between 1974-75 and 1979-81. Evert did not play at the French Open from 1976-78.
Nadal was broken three times by Daniel, but the top-seeded Spaniard remained perfect on the French Open’s red clay as he tries to become the first player to win five straight titles at Roland Garros.
Dinara Safina, the top-seeded player in the women’s draw, and No 3 Venus Williams also advanced. Safina routed Anne Keothavong of Britain 6-0, 6-0 by spraying shots to all parts of the court. On the men’s side, 10th-seeded Nikolay Davydenko of Russia, No 12 Fernando Gonzalez of Chile, No 23 Robin Soderling of Sweden and No 30 Victor Hanescu of Romania advanced. Keothavong had a couple of chances against Safina on centre court, but she wasted two break points in the third game of the first set, and led 40-0 in the fourth game of the second but couldn’t hold on.
Victoria Azarenka and Ana Ivanovic won 6-0, 6-0 at the French Open last year, and Serena Williams did it in 2003.
Safina took over as the top-ranked women’s player in April, but she has yet to win a Grand Slam title. She lost in last year’s French Open final, and also came within a match of winning the Australian Open this season. Williams, a seven-time Grand Slam champion, survived a sudden second-set slump to beat Bethanie Mattek-Sands 6-1, 4-6, 6-2. She won the match’s first five games, while Mattek asked for a medical time-out during the first set so a trainer could look at her right wrist.
No 15 Zheng Jie of China, No 22 Carla Suarez Navarro of Spain and No 29 Agnes Szavay of Hungary also advanced to the second round of the women’s tournament, but No 23 Alisa Kleybanova of Russia was upset by Polona Hercoq of Slovenia 6-2, 4-6, 6-1.
Murray advances
Briton Andy Murray looked every inch a seasoned claycourt campaigner during a 6-2, 6-2, 6-1 first-round demolition of Argentine dangerman Juan Ignacio Chela. Unfortunately for 2004 men’s champion Gaston Gaudio, there was very little to get excited about. Handed a wildcard into the Paris draw since his ranking has plummeted to 359th, he was bounced out 6-3, 6-4, 6-1 by Czech 18th seed Radek Stepanek.
France’s Mathilde Johansson was looking for a place to hide after she blew eight match points in a 2-6, 6-2, 10-8 defeat by Vitalia Diatchenko. Spanish eighth seed Fernando Verdasco compounded a miserable day for the home nation by humbling Florent Serra 6-2, 6-1, 6-4 before French number one Gilles Simon produced a stirring comeback to beat American Wayne Odesnik 3-6, 7-5, 6-2, 4-6, 6-3. Amelie Mauresmo’s French Open dreams turned to dust in the first round on Sunday when she was beaten 6-4, 6-3 by Germany’s Anna-Lena Groenefeld.
French Open results:
Men:
Rafael Nadal (Spain) beat Marcos Daniel (Brazil) 7-5, 6-4, 6-3;
Nikolay Davydenko (Russia) beat Stefan Koubek (Austria) 6-2, 6-1, 6-4;
Mikhail Youzhny (Russia) beat Gilles Muller (Luxembourg) 7-6 (2), 6-1, 6-4;
Stanislas Wawrinka (Switzerland) beat Nicolas Devilder (France) 6-3, 5-7, 2-6, 6-4,
Fernando Gonzalez (Chile) beat Jiri Vanek (Czh R) 6-3, 6-2, 6-3.
Women:
Aravane Rezai (France) beat Ai Sugiyama (Japan) 6-3, 6-2;
Dinara Safina (Russia) beat Anne Keothavong (Britain) 6-0, 6-0;
Venus Williams (United States) beat Bethanie Mattek-Sands (US) 6-1, 4-6, 6-2.
Who is the Big Threat??
Four-time French Open champion Rafael Nadal believes his Madrid Masters final defeat to old rival Roger Federer demonstrated that the Swiss superstar remains a serious Roland Garros threat.
Nadal, who has never lost here and is bidding for an historic fifth successive Paris title, said Friday he never doubted the strength of Federer's character even when he reduced his great rival to tears in the Australian Open final earlier this year.
Many in the sport interpreted that emotional collapse to be conclusive evidence that Nadal, having already taken his Wimbledon title, was now the sports's only real superpower.
"He was always there. He didn't have a bad loss this year. He lost to me in Australia, Murray in Doha and Indian Wells, Djokovic in Miami and in Rome," said Nadal, whose 33-match winning streak on clay was halted by Federer in Spain.
"He's doing well. It's always difficult to be perfect for five years, six years. I think everyone would like to have his problems with 13 Grand Slams."
Nadal also shrugged off his experiences in Madrid where he reached the final only after a four-hour semi-final win over Novak Djokovic where he had to save three match points.
He was physically and mentally shattered by the time he played Federer the next day.
For the world number one, the events of Madrid's Magic Box will have no bearing whatsoever on the French Open when it gets underway on Sunday.
Not only has Nadal won all 28 matches he has played here, he has also defeated Federer in the last three finals.
"I am very happy with my claycourt season. I won in Monte Carlo, Barcelona, Rome and made the final in Madrid. It's almost a perfect claycourt season," he said.
"Madrid was a difficult tournament. The court was fast, the balls were flying a lot. It was very difficult to control the ball and I didn't play that well in the competition.
"I played OK for a set and a half against Djokovic. The rest I didn't play well. Here you can feel the ball. You have more control."
World number three Andy Murray, who is seeded to face Nadal in the semi-finals, also believes the events in Spain could help Federer.
"The altitude in Madrid does make a difference," said the Scotsman. "But anytime you beat Nadal on clay is going to be big for your confidence. "I would expect Rafa to make the final here. I think Roger will probably have some tough matches if he is to make the final."
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