Nadal beat Mina in French Open

Rafael Nadal made a predictably triumphant return to Roland Garros with a straight-sets win over teenager Gianni Mina in the first round of the French Open yesterday.



The 23-year-old Spaniard began his quest for a fifth title at the home of clay-court tennis with 6-2, 6-2, 6-2 victory against France\'s world number 655.

Sixth seed Andy Roddick also booked his place in the second round with a gruelling 6-2, 4-6, 4-6, 7-6, 6-3 win over Finn Jarkko Nieminen.



American Roddick, who has not played an ATP match on clay this season, took the first set before the world number 69 bounced back to take the next two.

However, Roddick broke in the fifth and final game of the final set to take victory in three hours and 19 minutes.



Seventh seed Fernando Verdasco beat Igor Kunitsyn 6-4, 6-2, 6-2. But there was no luck for 26th seed Juan Monaco who fell 7-6, 3-6, 7-5, 6-3 to Slovenian qualifier Grega Zemlja.



Other winners were, 2003 champion Juan Carlos Ferrero, David Ferrer, Jurgen Melzer and Lleyton Hewitt.



In the women’s draw, Justine Henin beat Tsvetana Pironkova 6-4, 6-3 to reach the second round.



The 27-year-old Belgian, who ended her 20-month retirement in January, edged the first set and was 2-0 up in the next before Pironkova recovered.



The Bulgarian won three successive games but Henin hit back for victory.



Japan\'s Kimiko Date-Krummvproduced a huge shock with a 3-6, 6-4, 7-5 win over former number one Dinara Safina. She will now face Australian wild card Jarmila Groth in the second round.