Rafael Nadal has booked his place in the second round of the French Open with a straight-sets win over Quentin Halys.
By his own high-standards, the nine-time champion has struggled this year and he was made to work by the 18-year-old Frenchman who was competing in his first Grand Slam match.
However, Nadal eventually came through by a 6-3 6-3 6-4 scoreline to see off the challenge of the talented teenager.
Read below to see how the action unfolded at Roland Garros.
Hello, and welcome to Sports Mole's live coverage of the match between Quentin Halys and Rafael Nadal in the French Open first round.
Usually, at this time of year, Rafael Nadal has won a number of clay-court titles in preparation for a near-certain victory at Roland Garros but for the first time in his career, the legendary Spaniard arrives in Paris without a title to his name as well as being considered as the second favourite to retain his crown.
Nadal did win on the clay in Buenos Aries at the end of February, but defeats to Novak Djokovic, Fabio Fognini and Andy Murray see a bit of uncertainty surround his game heading into his first-round encounter with Quentin Halys. Fortunately for Nadal, he shouldn't be pushed to any great lengths this afternoon.
Halys, an 18-year-old Frenchman, has been handed a wildcard in order to compete in the first major of his career. Given that he is a one-match novice on the ATP Tour, his best achievement to date is his appearance in the final of the US Open juniors tournament last year. He has put together a few wins on the Challenger Tour but his best win came over world number 223 Roberto Marcora in a futures event in February. That highlights the size of his task this afternoon.
Anyway, the warm-up is complete and Halys is ready to serve. Let's see what he has to offer.
BREAK! Halys starts aggressively but he soon finds himself 15-30 down as Nadal quickly finds a rhythm. On the next two points, the Frenchman sets up makeable winners from inside the court but he makes two unforced errors and Nadal has the break in next to no time.
There's undoubtedly a few nerves from Halys but he certainly seems to have the game to pose Nadal a few issues. The 18-year-old gets to 15-30 but after constructing a well-worked point, he sliced into the net. That's it as far as the game is concerned as Nadal steps in to fire two forehands winners down the line.
Nadal takes the opening point courtesy of a Halys error but the home favourite fires back with authority to move to two game points, once again displaying that he has a bit of power about him. He misses a chance down the line but he takes his second chance to get on the board.
Dare I say it but Halys is the one showing the aggression and the muscle in this match, not Nadal. However, he isn't making the most of his openings and Nadal establishes a 30-0 lead. The Spaniard appears to be on the way to a routine hold to love but Halys fights back to get within a point of his opponent. He can't make it three points in a row though as he sends a forehand long of the baseline.
BREAK! Wow, out of nowhere, Halys puts in a wild game and a couple of double faults allow Nadal to break to love in about a minute and a half. That could be it for the first set.
BREAK! It has to be to said that Halys has quite the forehand on him and on occasions, it's putting Nadal in all sorts of trouble. The teenager brings up his first break point of the contest, and it's taken when Nadal can't handle a cross-court forehand. Maybe this set isn't over after all.
This is warming up very nicely. At 15-15, Halys plays a beautiful backhand volley to just inside the baseline before Nadal gets to 30-30 with a backhand smash. Halys has the momentum here though, and he takes the next points to get within a game of the nine-time champion.
Rafa needs a solid game here to steady the ship and he gets off to a positive start with a routine forehand winner down the line. Halys keeps Nadal honest at 40-30 but he misses out on deuce after a shocking backhand into the net.
SET! Nadal begins the game with a quite ridiculous forehand winner from the back of the court. The curve he put on the ball was incredible. Halys then proceeds to make two unforced errors to gift Nadal three set points but he saves the first with a big serve down the middle. He miscues a backhand into the net on the second though, and Nadal has the first set.
Nadal begins the opening game of the second set with a love hold and this next game has quickly turned into an important game for Halys. During the first set, he didn't win any points behind his second serve. That's a stat that must improve and fast.
You get the feeling that Nadal is now fully engaged in this contest and Halys has realised he isn't going to get any more cheap points. The youngster finds himself 0-30 down but he plays two solid points to get back on level terms. He goes wide with a volley to give Nadal a break point but he replies with an ace down the middle. He comes up with another to set up a third game point, which he takes when Nadal just misses with a thunderbolt of a forehand down the line.
It's early days but French fans are going to be excited by what they see from Halys. He completely flummoxes Nadal with a deft drop-shot from the back of the court before powering a backhand return to reach 30-30. Nadal's on the wrong end of a bad call from a line judge but he saves the break point by putting Halys under pressure and he comes through with a couple of well-struck winners.
After the opening two points are shared, Halys drifts in to put away a serve-and-volley but he gives up the advantage with a poor shot into the net. What a reply though, as he powers a forehand winner down the line before forcing Nadal to send a return miles wide.
Better from Rafa, who whips a delightful cross-court forehand into the corner before driving down an unreturnable first serve. Halys saves a game point but he goes for too much on a backhand and Nadal edges ahead again in this second set.
BREAK! Danger signs for Halys, who makes two mistakes to gift Nadal a 0-30 advantage. He halves the deficit with a excellent first serve, but Nadal creates two break points with a heavy forehand down the line. It's taken at the first time of asking with a backhand return winner and he finally makes the breakthrough in this set.
Halys's game has dropped off a touch at the time when Nadal has improved slightly. That results in Nadal easing to a love hold after forcing mistakes out of his opponent and he moves one away from a two-set lead.
Halys has opted to go all-out attack in a bid to stay in the set and it works for him as a couple of hefty blows take him to 30-0. His fourth double fault lets in Nadal but he overpowers the Spaniard on the next to edge closer to the game. Nadal fights back to bring up a set point but it's a terrific reply from Halys, who remains alive with some sharp reactions at the net.
SET! That's his momentum completely taken away though. Nadal sweeps to a hold to love, which is sealed with an inside-out forehand down the line, and he remains on course to seal his place in the last 64.
Halys needed a fast start to this set and he gets one with a hold to 15 that included some powerful hitting from his forehand side. He may as well continue to go for his shots because you're not going to beat Nadal over five sets by getting involved in a lot of baseline rallies.
Nadal puts together a business-like game to hold to love and he looks like he wants this match done with as fast as possible.
He may not get his own way though. Halys is blasting away at pretty much every ball and he records his own hold to love with some venomous hitting. He's showing no signs of wilting here.
Nadal is having to work extremely hard to try to discourage his opponent, but it's proven a struggle. Halys looks comfortable when unloading on either wing and it's up to Nadal to impose his own style on the teenager rather than waiting for mistakes. He comes through to 15 but while this remains on serve, Halys has a chance of extending this contest.
BREAK! Halys falls 0-15 behind after missing out with a drop shot but he replies with a thunderous forehand into the corner. Here comes Rafa though, who explodes into life with a trademark forehand that flies past his opponent and the first of two break points is sent long by the Frenchman.
A serve out wide from Nadal sets up the backhand put-away for 30-0 before a wild forehand from Halys gives him three game points. He gets into the next rally, but Nadal has too much power and he easily seals the hold.
Nadal is producing some of his very tennis now, and a smash and forehand winner take him to 0-30. Halys gets back to 30-30 but Nadal has break point after a Halys forehand could marginally long. He can't convert though, and the home crowd are on their feet as Halys remains just the single break behind.
The top-spin forehand is proving too hot for Halys to handle now as Nadal eases into a 30-0 lead, but a stunning backhand return from Halys halves the deficit. Nadal holds to 15 though, courtesy of another forehand winner, and the nine-time champion is one game away from a place in the second round.
A relaxed Nadal pulls a wonderfully-disguised backhand flick at the net to move to 0-30 but Halys doesn't give up the ghost, and four points in a row keep him in the match. Marvellous stuff.
MATCH! Halys can certainly crush a forehand but he misses out on the opening point, albeit by small margins. He replies with a cross-court backhand winner that catches the line but Nadal deceives him with a well-directed second serve. It's 30-15 to the Spaniard, which soon becomes two matches points when Halys nets a return. He does the same on match point, and Nadal is safely through to the next round.
It's took him one hour 50 minutes to overcome the challenge of the impressive Frenchman, but Rafael Nadal is comfortably through to the last 64 at Roland Garros. Halys had his moments, but during the key moments of the match, the nine-time champion rose to the occasion and he will be delighted with his first-round performance against a player who showed that he had the weapons to pose him problems. The sixth seed will now play Nicolas Almagro or Alexander Dolgopolov in his next match.
That will be all from Sports Mole for this match, but we hope that you can stick around for our next encounter which sees Novak Djokovic start his campaign against Jarkko Nieminen. Goodbye for now.
