PARIS -- Ten-time champion Rafael Nadal fought off a strong challenge by Italian lucky loser Simone Bolelli in the first round of the French Open on Tuesday, yet still advanced in straight sets.
Nadal improved his Paris record to 80-2 with a 6-4, 6-3, 7-6 (9) rain-interrupted win completed over two days on Court Philippe Chatrier after saving four set points in the tiebreaker.
Nadal, once again the overwhelming favorite on his preferred surface after claiming clay titles in Monte Carlo, Barcelona and Rome, trailed 6-3 in the tiebreaker but fended off Bolelli's chances in impressive fashion: The top-ranked Spaniard hit an ace, a backhand volley and a crosscourt winner in succession.
Mixing deep groundstrokes with subtle shots, Bolelli obtained another set point with a backhand drop shot to lead 7-6, but Nadal hit a service winner on the next point.
"I went through tough moments; it's important for the future," Nadal said, who hasn't ceded a set at the French Open since the 2015 quarterfinals..
This match was one of the six encounters halted on Monday night because of rain. After some more raindrops interrupted play again on Tuesday morning, Nadal came back on court in full swing.
Nadal won the first three games on the day, but the 129th-ranked Bolelli raised his level and managed a series of good returns. Nadal saved four break points in the eighth game of the final set, including one with a ferocious trademark cross-court forehand winner.
"It was a very difficult match. Simone played very aggressively. He had many chances in the third set," Nadal said.
Third-seeded Marin Cilic also started his Paris campaign with a straight-set win over James Duckworth, while up-and-coming Canadian teenager Denis Shapovalov got past John Millman in his Grand Slam debut 7-5, 6-4, 6-2.
Cilic, a former US Open champion who reached two of the past three Grand Slam finals, was not bothered by the rain that stopped play for about an hour and won 6-3, 7-5, 7-6 (4).
Duckworth, who missed the French Open last year because of foot surgery, has never won a match at the clay-court event in four appearances.
The 19-year-old Shapovalov, who is seeded 24th for his Roland Garros main-draw debut, next plays 70th-ranked Maximilian Marterer, who beat American Ryan Harrison
Among others advancing were No. 6 seed Kevin Anderson and No. 9 John Isner.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.