Rafael Nadal removes his bandana and, like a rain-soaked puppy, shakes his head and sprays sweat everywhere. The defending champion's departure is our signal to end this live text commentary and start preparations for Tuesday, when Andy Murray and Heather Watson will be in action on the red dirt.

There's a humdinger of a match going on between Facundo Bagnis and Julien Benneteau. France's Benneteau is leading 10-9 in the deciding set, but has called a medical timeout. I will leave you on that cliff hanger, but to keep up to date with the latest scores, check out our live scores page for the men and women's singles matches. Bye for now.

It's a result the bookies would have predicted. Rafael Nadal makes a meal of the final game, squandering three match points but eventually he sees off Robby Ginepri. The American's forehand drifts wide and Nadal seals a convincing 6-0 6-3 6-0 win.

When press conferences go really badly., external It's always advisable to first check the result before heading in to a press conference...

Image source, BBC Sport

Rafael Nadal is galloping towards the finishing line, a couple of furlongs to overcome and the defending champion will be through to the second round. There's been no horsing around from the Spaniard. He's currently leading 3-0 in the third, and what is likely to be, penultimate set.

Sabine Lisicki:, external Thanks for the support out there even though I was playing a French girl! Happy to be thru.

Maria Sharapova:, external Rain or shine, loved being back on Chartier

Image source, Getty Images

Novak Djokovic passed the time during a rain delay in his first-round match by beckoning a ballboy to sit alongside him, and then engaging in a lengthy conversation.

"We had a nice chat," said the world number two. "He's a tennis player, so I asked him how long he's playing, and how he's enjoying his time as a ball kid.

"It was a nice, fun time, something unusual for the Grand Slams. He accepted the offer to sit down, which I didn't think he would do, so he's very spontaneous little boy, and I hope I see him my next match."

Being as we're chatting about Rafael Nadal, I might as well tell you that since Nadal won his first clay court title in 2004, he has lost just 15 times on the surface, with three of those defeats occurring this year. But, despite those three defeats in 2014, Nadal is the only player to have won multiple clay court titles this year.

Robby Ginepri will soon be put out of his misery as Rafael Nadal takes the second set 6-3 after just 72 minutes on Suzanne Lenglen. The defending champion, leading by two sets, has won 90% of points on his first serve and has so far accumulated 17 winners, though Ginepri has notched 14 winners of his own.

Piers Newbery
BBC Sport at Roland Garros

James Ward has been going through his media duties after that four-set defeat by Tommy Robredo on Court Six. It was the Briton's first main draw match in Paris, at the age of 27.

"People expect you to be the Andy Murrays and Rafael Nadals of this world but not everyone is," Ward told BBC Sport. "There's a lot of guys who are playing their best tennis as they get a bit older and hopefully I'm one of them."

Reflecting on the match, he added: "[Robredo] likes it to be slow so he can use his heavy forehand and make me move, try and get me off the court. He did it well - if he hadn't it would have been a different result, but he played really well at times and came up with some great shots."

Ernests Gulbis is in control of his first-round match with Lukasz Kubot, leading the Pole 6-4 3-2, while Donald Young is 3-0 up against Israel's Dudi Sela.

I suppose you also want to know how Rafael Nadal is getting on? The Spaniard has just broken Robby Ginepri and is serving for a 5-3 lead in the second set.

It seems Maria Sharapova is just like the rest of us when the going gets tough, indulging in some cake, thinking that a sugar hit will be the answer to all her problems. "It depends how fresh they are," says the Russian of macaroons. "I usually allow myself a couple here and there, but on tougher occasions I allow myself more than usual, yeah."

Image source, Getty Images

While Victoria Azarenka concentrates on her flapjacks, or cookies, or whatever they are, our focus must turn to Suzanne Lenglen because Robby Ginepri is cooking up a little surprise for us. On the menu was a break point for the American but Nadal, rather greedily, and hastily, takes it off the menu and serves up a couple of too-hot-to-handle serves to level at 2-2 in the second set.

What do tennis players do when they're injured? Pre-heat the oven to 180c, get a wooden spoon and find their inner Mary Berry. Victoria Azarenka is missing from this year's French Open because of a foot injury, but the world number five seems to have found solace in the kitchen. , external

"So to keep things interesting we are doing a #bakeoff," she Tweeted. "I'm totally winning right now. Let's see how they come out."

There are a few results to tell you about. Gilles Simon is through to the second round after a straight forward 6-1 6-1 6-3 win over Ante Pavic, as is Mikhail Kukushkin, who beat Nicolas Mahut 6-3 6-7 (4-7) 6-3-6 6-4. Others to progress are Jurgen Melzer, Tobias Kamke and Dominika Cibulkova.

Rafael Nadal looks anguished even though he has just secured the first set 6-0 against Robby Ginepri. There has to be a lot of sympathy for the American, ranked 279 in the world and playing the world number one, a man hoping to become the first man in history to win five consecutive Roland Garros titles.

There's no need to hire private detectives these days to keep tabs on the world's finest tennis players. Not that I ever did that, of course.

After her comfortable straight-sets win over Alize Lim, Serena Williams, external informed the world that she took part in some stretching exercises, though it seems there's still plenty of work to do if she is to make the American gymnastics team for Rio 2016, and then the top seed chilled out with her pal, Caroline 'Rory Who?' Wozniacki. , external

Image source, BBC Sport

It hasn't taken defending champion Rafael Nadal long to get into the swing of things, with the Spaniard racing to a 4-0 lead against Robby Ginepri. On Philippe Chatrier, Alize Cornet is 5-1 up against Ashleigh Barty.

Piers Newbery
BBC Sport at Roland Garros

Paris gets its first look at eight-time champion Rafael Nadal in the slightly surprising surroundings of Court Suzanne Lenglen - the second show court at Roland Garros. Organisers explained the decision, saying Nadal had requested to play on Monday rather than Tuesday and had to be squeezed into the running order. Spanish newspaper El Pais , externalsaid the situation "emphasises that the love Nadal feels for Paris is not always reciprocated". Nadal gives a sheepish wave as he arrives on court along with American wildcard Robby Ginepri.

Ward dumps a backhand into the tape, his third unforced error of the game, presenting Robredo with two match points. The Spaniard needs just the one as Ward, sliding along the baseline, directs a backhand into the net. A brave effort by the Brit against the experienced Robredo.

Ward, defending a break point, goes on the offensive and sends Robredo lunging from tramline to tramline and eventually kills off the Spaniard with an overhead. The crowd burst into a spontaneous applause and Ward raises his index finger towards the sky. Robredo collects a second break point, but lets it slip and Ward, thanks to an equal dollop of grit and guts, holds. The crowd enjoyed that game. Robredo to serve for the match.