Nadal back to his old merciless self on new French Open center court

Clay court master Rafael Nadal quickly adapted to his new surroundings at Roland Garros with a 6-2 6-1 6-3 demolition of German qualifier Yannick Hanfmann in the first round of the French Open on Monday.

On a revamped Court Philippe Chatrier, the 11-time champion wasted little time in dispatching Hanfmann after the German had the audacity to say he could do ‘some damage’ in the run-up to the match. Nadal will next meet another qualifier.

Hanfmann failed to seize potential opportunities as Nadal, who usually starts slowly at his favorite hunting ground, played tight throughout and limited his unforced errors to 11.

The win improved Nadal’s Roland Garros record to 87-2. The Spaniard is hoping to become the first player to win the same Grand Slam title 12 times.