And Nadal immediately takes the advantage in this second set.

Popyrin floats a backhand long and this is in danger of slipping away from the Australian.

Popyrin engages Nadal in a deep rally and saves the first. Two more break points for the Spaniard.

Rafael Nadal comes out flying and Alexei Popyrin's position in this opening service game in the second set isn't helped by a double fault. He quickly finds himself three break points down...

Russell Fuller
BBC tennis correspondent on BBC Radio 5 Live Sports Extra

Popryrin looked as good as Nadal for the first three-quarters of the set, but Nadal doesn't want any extra stress out here today.

Image source, Getty Images

And this time Rafael Nadal takes it.

Alexei Popyrin's return drifts high and long and the Spaniard is off the mark in 37 minutes.

Good stuff from Popyrin, saving the second with a rocket of a return that Nadal can only coax back into the tape. Two set points to go...

Rafael Nadal with the chance to serve for the opening set.

The defending champion thunders his way to 40-0, kissing the chalk with a leaping ace, and this is three set points.

Laura Robson
Former British number one on BBC Radio 5 Live Sports Extra

You can tell Popyrin's trying to go for so much to get the free points against Nadal, but can he keep it up?

Image source, Getty

Alexei Popyrin needed that first serve to find the target. It didn't, Rafael Nadal attacked the second and that, undoubtedly, means the first break of the match goes the Spaniard's way.

And here's the chance.

A slower Alexei Popyrin second serve, a loose overhead backhand and Rafael Nadal eats it up.

Break point Nadal.

A bit eager from Nadal, going after a Popyrin second serve and punching it long. He bounces around at the back of the court in frustration. The 34-year-old is dragged around the clay off the next but makes sure this one finds its target, almost rifling a forehand through the Australian's strings. 30-30.

Image source, Getty Images

Cross out another top seed on your Roland Garros wallchart... Andrey Rublev has gone.

The Russian seventh seed has lost in five sets to German world number 42 Jan-Lennard Struff.

Struff won the first two sets and, after Rublev fought back to level, maintained his composure and energy to seal his first win over a top-10 player at a Grand Slam.

Alexei Popyrin throws his strings at an out-swinging Rafael Nadal serve down the middle, but can only pop it up into the cloudless Paris sky and watch it drop off target. The Spaniard holds.

Rafael Nadal can't get near the Popyrin serve at the moment, but he's beginning to showcase his arsenal of strokes on his own - a little strut to the net, an irretrievable forehand from close range.

30-0.

Close, as the Brothers Skupski try and break back at the end of the set, but the number two seeds Cabal and Farah edge the first set 6-4

And another hold to love for the 21-year-old Australian, this one topped off with his fourth ace of the day. He's certainly not fazed.

Wow. That was like a starting gun going off. A rocket from Alexei Popyrin, not sure Rafael Nadal even saw it come off the bat... 30-0.

Punchy stuff from the defending champion. A string of serves that seemingly gather speed as they glide off the surface, dropping just a single point on his way to a quick hold.

Image source, Getty Images

Ah, what a heart-warming scene over on Court Suzanne Lenglen.

French 14th seed Gael Monfils fights back to win 1-6 7-6 (8-6) 6-4 6-4 against Spain's Albert Ramos-Vinolas, leading to jubilant celebrations between the popular player and the small number of home fans who are allowed in.

The comeback sees 34-year-old Monfils secure only his second victory since the sport resumed last summer following the coronavirus pandemic.

Monfils, one of the sport's great entertainers, has talked openly about his struggles of playing without fans and the happiness of winning again at Roland Garros was clear to see.

After putting his hand on his heart after clinching victory, Monfils received a standing ovation as he lapped up the acclaim.

Lovely, sweeping winner from mid-court by Alexei Popyrin to take another smart hold.