The defending French Open champion Rafael Nadal received a decent workout from French teenager Quentin Halys as he began his quest for a 10th French Open title with a 6-3, 6-3, 6-4 first-round win.
Nadal, seeded sixth in this year’s tournament after a mediocre start to the season, was never threatened by the 18-year-old qualifier on Court Philippe Chatrier although the junior US Open runner-up, ranked 296th in the world, did not appear too overawed.
The nine-time champion, who now boasts a 67-1 record at Roland Garros, next faces either compatriot Nicolas Almagro or Ukraine’s Alexandr Dolgopolov.