PARIS - SERBIAN third seed Jelena Jankovic reached the French Open second round on Monday as Roland Garros braced itself for the appearances of heavyweight attractions Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal.

Jankovic, who reached the semi-finals of a Grand Slam event for the first time here 12 months ago, enjoyed a 7-6 (7/3), 6-2 victory over Romanian lucky loser Monica Niculescu.

The 23-year-old will next meet either Italy's Tathiana Garbin or New Zealander Marina Erakovic for a place in the third round as she plans to make the most of the shock retirement of Justine Henin, the winner here for the last three years.

'I am more mature. I have played in three Grand Slam semi-finals and lost to the eventual winner. Justine was the one against whom I always had the most trouble, so I have a better chance now.' Nadal and Federer were set to dominate proceedings later in the day.

Triple champion Nadal begins his campaign to emulate Bjorn Borg by winning four successive French Opens when he tackles Brazil's Thomaz Belluci.

The second seeded Spaniard comes into Roland Garros boasting a perfect record of 21 wins in 21 matches and an intimidating run of 108 wins in 110 claycourt outings since April 2005.

He has also defeated world number one Federer, who is still missing a French Open title from his collection of 12 Grand Slam trophies, in the last two finals.

Federer begins his 10th Roland Garros with a tricky assignment against improving American Sam Querrey who was a quarter-finalist on clay in Monte Carlo last month.

Popular Cypriot Marcos Baghdatis, the 17th seed who spent his formative years in Paris, was knocked out 6-2, 6-4, 6-2 by Italy's Simone Bolelli who goes on to face Juan Martin del Potro, one of 19 Argentinians who made the main draw.

'He has played more tournaments than I have recently, he hit the ball well and deserved to win,' said Baghdatis who was playing his first claycourt event of the season.

Guillermo Coria, the 2004 runner-up who is slowly trying to rebuild his career after a year on the sidelines because of a shoulder injury, gave Spanish 12th seed Tommy Robredo a scare when he took the first set before running out of steam.

Argentinian Coria, a former world number three and who squandered two match points in the 2004 final against compatriot Gaston Gaudio, has seen his ranking slump to 733.

He showed little sign of his problems when he took the first set off Robredo, a three-time quarter-finalist.

But after having played just four tournaments since the 2006 US Open, his lack of sharpness told and Robredo eventually ran out a 5-7, 6-4, 6-1, 6-4 winner and will next face either Serbia's Victor Troiki or Marc Gicquel of France.

Later on Monday, women's eighth seed Venus Williams begins her 12th successive Roland Garros against 35-year-old Israeli Tzipora Obzilier.

The American's best performance here remains her runner-up spot to sister Serena in 2002. -- AFP