Roland-Garros: Nadal begins bid for 14th French Open title with straight sets win

13-time Roland-Garros champion Rafael Nadal is through to the second round of the French Open after a straight sets win over Australian Jordan Thompson on Court Philippe Chatrier on Monday evening.

Nadal, seeded fifth and drawn to meet top-ranked Novak Djokovic in the quarter-finals this year, needed two hours and two minutes to win 6-2, 6-2, 6-2 over the 82nd ranked Thompson.

The Spaniard has not had the best preparation heading into Paris, failing to reach the semi-final of any of the clay court lead up events. Nadal missed six weeks on the tour due to the rib injury he sustained in the Indian Wells final and caused him to miss the Barcelona and Monte Carlo events.

Upon his return to the tour, Nadal reached the quarter-finals in Madrid (losing to Carlos Alcaraz) and the round of 16 in Rome (to Denis Shapovalov), where his chronic foot injury flared up once again.

Monday’s win also marked the 299th Grand Slam win of the Spaniard’s career and he will go for Slam win No 300 in the second round against French wild card Corentin Moutet.

Moutet needed four sets to defeat former Roland-Garros champion Stan Wawrinka 2-6, 6-3, 7-6, 6-3 in two hours and 51 minutes.

French Open (Grand Slam), other first-round results (Stade Roland-Garros, clay, EUR 43.600.000)

• Cameron Norrie (10) beat Manuel Guinard (WC): 7-5, 6-2, 6-0
• Corentin Moutet beat Stan Wawrinka: 2-6, 6-3, 7-6 [2], 6-3
• Sebastian Baez beat Dusan Lajovic: 6-3, 3-6, 6-4, 6-3
• Taylor Fritz (13) beat Santiago Fa Rodriguez Taverna (Q): 7-6 [2], 3-6, 6-3, 4-6, 6-4
• Filip Krajinovic beat Reilly Opelka (17): 7-6 [5], 6-2, 6-3

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