Paris, May 24: Nine-time French Open tennis champion Spaniard Rafael Nadal began his 2016 campaign with a comfortable 6-1, 6-1, 6-1 victory over Australian Sam Groth here on Tuesday.

Nadal never faced a break point and breezed past Australian Sam Groth in an hour and 20 minutes to move into the second round.

The Spaniard lost only five points on his serve, landed 84 percent of his first serves and hit 25 winners to three unforced errors.

Groth, meanwhile, struggled to get his serve-and-volley game going.

The Aussie, who was looking for his first win at French Open produced nine double faults and landed only 58 per cent of his first serves.

Nadal become the first player in the Open Era to win 10 titles at any Grand Slam event. He already is the only man in history to have won five consecutive titles at French Open at has a 71-2 win-loss ratio in Paris.

IANS