PARIS, May 28: Maria Sharapova almost became the first women’s top seed in French Open history to lose in the opening round on Wednesday as Rafael Nadal showed her the way to master a Roland Garros sandstorm.

As a vicious swirling wind, which turned the famous claycourts here into a dustbowl, replaced the torrential downpours of the previous day, Russian golden girl Sharapova toiled for two and a half hours before squeezing past teenage compatriot, and world No 104, Evgeniya Rodina 6-1, 3-6, 8-6.

Sharapova, who needs a French Open title to complete a career Grand Slam, served up 17 double faults and twice had to serve to stay in the match.

“It’s dry and you’ve got sand blowing in your face. So it feels like a hardcourt, but then you feel like you’re in a desert,” said the world No 1 who was a semi-finalist here in 2007.

Triple men’s champion Nadal comfortably extended his perfect Roland Garros record as he took a step closer to emulating Bjorn Borg as the only four-in-a-row winner.

The 21-year-old Spaniard notched up his 22nd win in 22 matches and his 109th win in his last 111 claycourt career outings with a 7-5, 6-3, 6-1 opening round victory over Brazilian qualifier Thomaz Bellucci.

Third seed Novak Djokovic, the Australian Open champion, wasted no time in reaching the third round with a 6-1, 6-1, 6-3 win over Miguel-Angel Jaen of Spain.

Spain’s Juan Carlos Ferrero, the 2003 champion and 23rd seed, was a first round casualty when he pulled out injured against Brazil’s Marcos Daniel.

The Spaniard, who had never lost his opener in his eight previous visits, won the first set 7-6 (7-5) and was 2-2 in the second when he called it quits with a thigh injury.

Australia’s 25th seed Lleyton Hewitt showed no signs of his recent hip injury when he brushed aside France’s Nicolas Mahut 6-4, 6-2, 6-4 to reach the second round.

Another former world No 1 Marat Safin, a semi-finalist in 2002, reached the second round and a clash with Davis Cup team-mate Nikolay Davydenko with a 6-7 (5-7), 6-1, 6-3, 6-2 win over Monaco qualifier Jean-Rene Lisnard.

In the women’s draw, Russian sixth seen Anna Chakvetadze beat Spain’s Nuria Llagostera Vives 6-3, 5-7, 6-1 and next faces Kaia Kanepi.

Later on Wednesday, second seen Ana Ivanovic, the runner-up to the now retired Justine Henin in 2007, faces Lucie Safarova of the Czech Republic.

Wednesday’s results (prefix number denotes seeding):

Men’s singles:

Second round: 3-Novak Djokovic (Serbia) bt Miguel Angel Lopez Jaen (Spain) 6-1, 6-1, 6-3.

First round: 28-Ivan Ljubicic (Croatia) bt Eric Prodon (France) 7-5, 7-6 (8-6), 7-6 (7-4); Luis Horna (Peru) bt Scoville Jenkins (US) 6-4, 5-7, 6-3, 6-0; 2-Rafael Nadal (Spain) bt Thomaz Bellucci (Brazil) 7-5, 6-3, 6-1; Julien Benneteau (France) bt Vince Spadea (US) 6-4, 6-4, 3-6, 3-6, 6-3; Victor Hanescu (Romania) bt Dudi Sela (Israel) 4-6, 6-2, 4-6, 6-4, 6-3; Diego Junqueira (Argentina) bt Adrian Mannarino (France) 6-1, 6-2, 6-2; Albert Montanes (Spain) bt Kristof Vliegen (Belgium) 7-6 (7-5), 7-6 (7-2), 7-6 (7-3); 15-Mikhail Youzhny (Russia) bt Benjamin Becker (Germany) 6-1, 6-3, 7-6 (7-4); Marc Gicquel (France) bt Viktor Troicki (Serbia) 6-4, 6-3, 4-6, 7-5; Marin Cilic (Croatia) bt Robin Haase (Netherlands) 7-6 (8-6), 6-2, 7-6 (7-4); Marat Safin (Russia) bt Jean-Rene Lisnard (Monaco) 6-7 (5-7), 6-1, 6-3, 6-2; Martin Vassallo Arguello (Argentina) bt Feliciano Lopez (Spain) 7-6 (7-1), 6-4, 3-6, 4-6, 6-3; 30-Dmitry Tursunov (Russia) bt Daniel Brands (Germany) 6-2, 6-4, 7-5; Bobby Reynolds (US) bt Thierry Ascione (France) 7-6 (7-2), 4-6, 6-3, 6-2; Mardy Fish (US) bt Agustin Calleri (Argentina) 6-7 (6-8), 6-4, 6-2, 6-4; Juan Ignacio Chela (Argentina) bt John Isner (US) 2-6, 3-6, 7-5, 6-3, 6-4; 26-Jarkko Nieminen (Finland) bt Marc Lopez (Spain) 2-6, 6-3, 6-4, 6-3; David Marrero (Spain) bt Victor Crivoi (Romania) 6-3, 6-3, 5-7, 6-4; Fabrice Santoro (France) bt Evgeny Korolev (Russia) 7-6 (7-3), 6-1, 6-4; 5-David Ferrer (Spain) bt Steve Darcis (Belgium) 6-3, 6-4, 6-3; 25-Lleyton Hewitt (Australia) bt Nicolas Mahut (France) 6-4, 6-2, 6-4; Jiri Vanek (Czech Republic) bt Jesse Huta Galung (Netherlands) 6-3, 7-5, 6-2; 21-Radek Stepanek (Czech Republic) bt Gilles Simon (France) 6-2, 6-4, 6-1; Juergen Melzer (Austria) bt Peter Luczak (Australia) 6-3, 6-2, 6-4; Marcos Daniel (Brazil) bt 23-Juan Carlos Ferrero (Spain) 6-7 (5-7), 2-2 – Ferrero retired.

Tuesday’s remaining result:

First round: Mario Ancic (Croatia) bt 31-Andreas Seppi (Italy) 6-2, 7-6 (7-1), 6-2.

Women’s singles:

Second round: 14-Agnieszka Radwanska (Poland) bt Jelena Pandzic (Croatia) 6-2, 6-0; Emilie Loit (France) bt Klara Zakopalova (Czech Republic) 6-4, 6-3.

First round: Alisa Kleybanova (Russia) bt Tamarine Tanasugarn (Thailand) 6-3, 6-0; 21-Maria Kirilenko (Russia) bt Maria Elena Camerin (Italy) 6-1, 6-0; 25-Nadia Petrova (Russia) bt Aravane Rezai (France) 7-6 (7-4), 6-3; Kaia Kanepi (Estonia) bt Yuan Meng (China) 6-2, 6-2; 6-Anna Chakvetadze (Russia) bt Nuria Llagostera Vives (Spain) 6-3, 5-7, 6-1; Sorana Mihaela Cirstea (Romania) bt Anne Kremer (Luxembourg) 6-0, 3-0 – Kremer retired; Aleksandra Wozniak (Canada) bt 20-Sybille Bammer (Austria) 6-0, 6-2; 11-Vera Zvonareva (Russia) bt Stephanie Foretz (France) 6-2, 6-1; Peng Shuai (China) bt Anastasia Rodionova (Russia) 6-0, 2-6, 6-3; 27-Katarina Srebotnik (Slovenia) bt Virginia Ruano Pascual (Spain) 6-4, 6-2; Casey Dellacqua (Australia) bt 9-Marion Bartoli (France) 6-7 (4-7), 6-3, 6-2; Marina Erakovic (New Zealand) bt Tathiana Garbin (Italy) 6-7 (9-11), 6-3, 6-3; 26-Flavia Pennetta (Italy) bt Tatiana Perebiynis (Ukraine) 6-3, 6-2; Magdalena Rybarikova (Slovakia) bt Karolina Sprem (Croatia) 7-6 (7-3), 3-6, 8-6; 7-Elena Dementieva (Russia) bt Vera Dushevina (Russia) 6-7 (6-8), 6-0, 6-2; 1-Maria Sharapova (Russia) bt Evgeniya Rodina (Russia) 6-1, 3-6, 8-6; Vania King (US) bt Violette Huck (France) 4-6, 6-2, 6-1; Olga Govortsova (Belarus) bt Yuliana Fedak (Ukraine) 7-5, 2-6, 6-3; Akgul Amanmuradova (Uzbekistan) bt Yanina Wickmayer (Belgium) 6-2, 7-5; Marta Domachowska (Poland) bt Rossana De Los Rios (Paraguay) 3-6, 6-3, 6-1; Bethanie Mattek (US) bt Madison Brengle (US) 6-3, 2-6, 6-4; Sanda Mamic (Croatia) bt Michaella Krajicek (Netherlands) 6-4, 6-3; 18-Francesca Schiavone (Italy) bt Jill Craybas (US) 6-3, 6-2.

Tuesday’s remaining results:

First round: Carla Suarez (Spain) beat Pauline Parmentier (France) 6-4 5-7 6-2; 31-Ai Sugiyama (Japan) beat Alla Kudryavtseva (Russia) 6-1 2-6 6-3.—Agencies