Wake up call for Andy Murray

Top seed Novak Djokovic launched his bid for a first French Open title with a routine victory as Andy Murray battled through to Round Two on Tuesday, while Australian Open champion Angelique Kerber crashed out.

Djokovic, a three-time Roland Garros finalist, faced little resistance from Taiwan’s world number 95 Lu Yen-Hsun as he eased to a 6-4, 6-1, 6-1 victory.

The Serb, bidding to become just the eighth man to secure a career Grand Slam, needed just 90 minutes on Court Phillipe Chatrier to book a second-round encounter with Belgian qualifier Steve Darcis.

However, Murray was forced to recover from a two-set deficit to overcome 37-year-old Radek Stepanek 3-6, 3-6, 6-0, 6-3, 7-5 in a match lasting three hours 41 minutes in total.

The second seed had been trailing by two sets to one but up a break in the fourth when play was suspended on Monday due to darkness.

The Scot duly returned to complete the job after making the crucial breakthrough at 5-all in the decider to set up a second-round encounter with 164th-ranked French wildcard Mathias Bourgue.

While Murray toiled, there were no such problems for nine-time champion Rafael Nadal who extended his record at Roland Garros to 71 wins against just two losses.

The fourth-seeded Spaniard made quick work of 100th-ranked Sam Groth, taming the Australian’s powerful serve with eight breaks in a resounding 6-1, 6-1, 6-1 win.

“It’s obvious that was a good start for me,” said Nadal.

“I managed to break him very quickly. It was important because against such an opponent it’s not easy to take his serve.”

However, Kerber became the tournament’s first major casualty as Dutchwoman Bertens consigned the German third seed to a 6-2, 3-6, 6-3 defeat.

“The first rounds are always tough in the tournament, especially for me, but, yeah, what can I say It happens,” lamented Kerber, who was hampered by an ongoing shoulder problem.

Czech seventh seed Tomas Berdych, a former French Open semi-finalist, cruised to a straight-sets win over Canada’s Vasek Pospisil.

Austria’s Dominic Thiem struggled initially against Inigo Cervantes, dropping the opening set to the Spaniard, but the 13th seed rallied to claim a 3-6, 6-2, 7-5, 6-1 victory.

John Isner fired 40 aces to advance 6-7 (4/7), 7-6 (14/12), 7-6 (9/7), 7-5 over Australian John Millman, while Bernard Tomic put recent struggles behind him to dispatch American Brian Baker in three sets.

Seven-time major winner Venus Williams, who lost the 2002 final to sister Serena, edged out Estonia’s Anett Kontaveit 7-6 (7/5), 7-6 (7/4), while 2008 champion Ana Ivanovic held off French wildcard Oceane Dodin in three sets.