Champion Albert Costa just escaped making the wrong kind of history on Tuesday while Lleyton Hewitt and his Belgian sweetheart Kim Clijsters cruised into round two of the French Open.
Not once since the tournament first welcomed foreigners in 1925 had a champion -- man or woman -- fallen at the first hurdle the following year. Costa came mightily close to becoming the first.
But when it mattered, Argentine Sergio Roitman's nerve failed him and he allowed Costa off the hook to squeeze out a 6-7, 2-6, 7-5, 6-2, 6-2 win.
Having trailed by two sets and 4-2 it was an escape of some proportions and one which the ninth-seeded Spaniard was lucky to pull off after three hours and 38 minutes.
Nothing was left to fortune in Clijsters's victory over Amy Frazier and although boyfriend Hewitt had looked a little out of touch against Brian Vahaly, the winner of that match was never really an issue either.
Britain's Tim Henman put his recent poor form and injury worries behind him to thrash Belarussian Vladimir Voltchkov 6-2, 6-3, 6-1.
Henman has struggled with his right shoulder since surgery last December and had won just four matches all year. Voltchkov posed no credible threat, though. The last time he won on clay was in a Davis Cup match against Morocco in 1998.
REAL THREAT
Roitman, by contrast, posed a very real threat to the survival of the tournament's 2002 champion and it required all Costa's composure and experience to outlast a man only admitted to the tournament after others had withdrawn injured.
Granted a place in the main draw despite losing in qualifying, the so-called 'Lucky Loser' rode that luck for two-and-a-half sets before seeing his dream disappear in the French capital.
Costa scrapped and chased, hustled and harried before finally overcoming the Argentine.
Clijsters was never in such trouble as the women's second seed nailed her American opponent 6-2, 6-0 in 45
Packing both a heavyweight punch and a featherlight touch, the Belgian floored Frazier with ease. Ghostly pale at the best of times, Frazier's visage grew redder as the sun beat down and Clijsters ran her this way and that throughout the contest.
Frazier -- a competent professional with 16 years experience of the WTA Tour -- was simply made to look clumsy as Clijsters rattled off a straightforward victory.
Clijsters' long-term boyfriend Hewitt did enough to win but displayed nothing like the form that has made him world number one.
The Australian toiled for more than three hours on the slow red clay to overcome an opponent ranked 76th in the world.
NO MERCY
After winning a closely contested first set in 55 minutes, Hewitt showed Vahaly no mercy in the second, unleashing a series of devastating forehand winners from the baseline.
But Hewitt lost his touch in the next set and wasted three match points in the tiebreak -- hitting a double fault on the third -- before losing it 8-6. He won the match by taking the fourth set 6-3.
Hewitt will face the winner of the match between Russian Nikolay Davydenko and Greg Rusedski of Britain.
Seventh seed and former champion Jennifer Capriati romped into the second round after trouncing South African Joannette Kruger 6-2, 6-1.
The 2001 title holder, hoping to win her first tournament since claiming the Australian Open crown last year, put in a devastating display of power and precision from the baseline to end the challenge of the hapless Kruger.
The American takes on either Rossana Neffa-de Los Rios or home favourite Marion Bartoli next.
