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Rafael Nadal and Justine Henin have won in the first round on Tuesday and are now on course to winning their fifth Roland Garros titles; however, two-time finalist Dinara Safina loses to a player turning 40 this coming September.

Nadal, the world number two from Spain, eased past teenager Gianni Mina of France 6-2, 6-2, 6-2, while Henin, who was appearing in her first French Open tournament since 2007 after a stint of retirement, beat Tsvetana Pironkova of Bulgaria 6-4, 6-3.

However, ninth-seed Safina of Russia had a match to forget as she fell 3-6, 6-4, 7-5 to veteran Kimiko Date Drumm of Japan – the oldest female match winner of the event since 1985.

The 22nd-seed Henin, 27, is attempting to win her fifth French Open title after retiring from tennis in 2008. The Belgian star, who cut her retirement short at the start of this year, will be facing Czech Klara Zakopalova in the next round.

“I never expected to be back here again on this court”, Henin said after stepping on Court Philippe Chartier for the first time since she defeated Ana Ivanovic during the finals in 2007.

Four-time champ Nadal warded off nine break points to beat 18-year-old wildcard Mina in his Grand Slam debut. He will next face Horacio Zaballos of Argentina in the second round.

“My goal is always to play my best tennis. I would love to come back here every year as defending champion but that’s impossible”, stated the Spanish star, who lost the title to Roger Federer in 2009 after losing to Robin Soderling in the fourth round.

Meanwhile, men’s sixth-seed Andy Roddick survived a five-setter to defeat Jarkko Nieminen of Finland 6-2, 4-6, 4-6, 7-6 (7/4), 6-3. Australia’s Lleyton Hewitt, as well as Spanish seeds Juan Carlos Ferrero and David Ferrer, also advanced to the second round.

French coach Raymond Domenech on Monday opted to stick to his squad of 23 players for the World Cup in South Africa next month and not to get a replacement for Lassana Diarra after the star midfielder pulled out because of illness.

Domenech stated on the website of the French Football Federation (FFF) that he is confident that his 23-man squad will perform well in the month-long tournament, scheduled on 11 June-11 July.

“We though about it (calling up a replacement for Diarra) for a long time”, explained the French coach, who initially had 24 players in the camp until the midfielder fell ill. “However, we are placing our confidence in the 23 players here at Tignes, who are really hungry to go to the World Cup finals, and show us that every day”.

Diarra was ruled out from the finals last Saturday after he was diagnosed to have an intestinal disease. The midfielder left Portsmouth for Real Madrid in January last year, having played previously for Arsenal and Chelsea.

With Jeremy Toulalan of Lyon, he formed Domenech’s first choice defensive midfield pair. Diarra played in 10 of the 12 matches of France during their qualification campaign for the 2010 World Cup.

Abou Diaby of Arsenal played in his position during the squad’s training session last Saturday afternoon.

France’s Les Bleus will begin their campaign in the World Cup against Uruguay on 11 June in Cape Town.

France’s Aravane Rezai was on form on the French Open’s first day, making a solid show for her country after beating Heidi El Tabakh of Canada in two sets. While Jo-Wilfried Tsonga had a more difficult task, trouncing Daniel Brands of Germany in five sets.

The hopes of France in the two-week Roland Garros tournament had better news after Rezai defeated Tabakh 6-1 6-1 to highlight her credentials. The 15th-seeded Rezai, who learned playing tennis in St. Etienne’s dimly-lit park courts, recently beat Venus Williams to grab the Madrid title and is on the way to meet her again in the fourth round.

Eighth-seed Tsonga, the highest-ranked male player of France, nearly ruined a pleasant day for the home fans after he was forced to play five sets against 89th-ranked Brands. After losing the first set, he appeared to have the game in his hands when he took the next two sets; however, a poor tiebreak in the fourth set took the match to a decider. With the crowd supporting him, Tsonga survived the fifth set and won 4-6 6-3 6-2 6-7 7-5.

In the other games, women’s defending champ Svetlana Kuznetsova of Russia beat Sorana Cirstea of Romania 6-3 6-1. Seven-time grand slam champion Venus Williams, whose best effort in the tournament was her loss to sister Serena during the finals in 2002, seemed to be in fine form after defeating Patty Schnyder 6-3 6-3.

Meanwhile, 23rd-seed Ernests Gulbis of Latvia injured a hamstring while playing against Julien Benneteau of France and retired after two sets. Croatian Marin Cilic, seeded 10th, beat Ricardo Mello of Brazil 6-1 3-6 6-3 6-1.

Former French international and current coach of Bordeaux Laurent Blanc moved closer to becoming the football coach of France after the French Football Federation (FFF) reached an agreement with his club on Thursday.

The agreement was reached after Bordeaux’s president Jean-Louis Triaud and FFF President Jean-Pierre Escalettes had a meeting, said the club in a statement. They sorted out their differences regarding Blanc’s departure since the Bordeaux coach still has a year before his contract expires.

The 44-year-old coach now has a clear way to replace present French coach Raymond Domenech, who is leaving his post in July, after the 2010 World Cup.

Triaud previously expressed anger at Blanc’s early announcement as a potential candidate, saying that it was “very premature”, and claimed that such move will cost his team €20 million.

“A federation cannot simply go at will and hire a coach who is already working. This contributed to our sporting failure”, Traiud said.

The sports newspaper L’Equipe reported that Bordeaux is finally going to settle for compensation worth €1.5 million. Blanc also demands to bring Jean-Louis Gasset, his present deputy coach, with him to the French squad.

Blanc, a defender who won a World Cup and a Euro Cup as a player in the national team, led Bordeaux to the league title last year and to the Champions League quarterfinals this season, losing to rivals Lyon.

However, his team only finished sixth in Europe in the league matches’ final round last Saturday.

French actor and former footballer Eric Cantona, affectionately known as ‘King Eric’ in the UK, has shocked people in his home country and warmed his English fans’ hearts after declaring during an interview with a French newspaper that he would support England in this summer’s World Cup to be held in South Africa, instead of France’s Les Bleus.

In one of the articles published in the Metro free newspaper, Cantona stated, “I will support England. I am half Marseilles, half English”.

The former Manchester United forward, who spent majority of his successful career in Britain, is still arguably lauded as among the most talented and iconic players in the history of the Premier League. Highlighting the great esteem by which he is being held in Britain, he has been inducted into England’s Football Hall of Fame in 2002.

Cantona, who is dubbed as the ‘enfant terrible’ of France’s football, continues to have a strong bond with Manchester United as well as the city in north Britain itself.

“In Manchester you feel like you’re home, protected and loved”, he said. “Manchester is a city that loves the beautiful game and beautiful players… They are not scared of dealing with hot-tempered personalities”.

Until this day, Manchester United fans still sing chants regarding ‘Le Dieu’, as well as brandish French flags in honour of him at most football games.

Centre Damien Traille of Biarritz will miss the Heineken Cup final against Toulouse on Saturday after he failed to recuperate from an injured forearm.

However, Imanol Harinordoquy, who had a rib injury and a broken nose when he played in the semi-finals, will most likely play.

“Imanol is not in pain any more”, Biarritz boss Laurent Rodriguez said Tuesday. “We are confident he will be able to lead our team”.

Meanwhile, Thierry Dusautoir and Byron Kelleher are expected to play for Toulouse. Kelleher, the former scrum-half of the All Blacks, was rested in Toulouse’s 21-13 loss to Perpignan in the French Championship semi-finals last Saturday. Dusautoir, who has lost twice in the finals in 2006 with Biarritz and in 2008 with Toulouse, played as replacement.

Toulouse, who have won three wins in the Heineken Cup and are now in their sixth finals, will be playing as the favourites in the match at the Stade de France.

Biarritz has three British international players, centre Ayoola Erinle, flanker Magnus Lund, and full-back Iain Balshaw. They are hoping to claim their first ever European title in their second attempt.

The Basque team lost to Munster in the 2006 finals at the Millennium Stadium in Cardiff, Wales.

“The 2006 final is a very bitter memory”, recalled Harinordoquy, who is among the eight remaining players in the Biarritz squad. “I didn’t even want the runners-up medal. What drove me mad was the feeling that we were not ready for the event. The Millennium Stadium was heaving with 40-50,000 Irish supporters and I think our players went to pieces. This time we won’t make the same mistakes”.

France kept uncapped pair Marc Planus and Mathieu Valbuena in the country’s squad for the World Cup after trimming the players on Monday to 24 from 30.

Forward Valbuena was rewarded for his excellent performance in Marseille, helping the team get the Ligue 1 title, while defender Planus of Bordeaux was retained in the team as there are still doubts whether centre-back Williams Gallas of Arsenal will be able to play.

Coach Raymond Domenech, whose deadline to submit the list of his 23-man team is on 1 June, is hoping that Gallas will be able to overcome an injury in his calf.

The players removed from the French squad include defenders Adil Rami and Rod Fanni, goalkeeper Mickael Landreau, forwards Jimmy Briand and Hatem Ben Arfa, and midfielder Yann M’Vila.

The team will be facing Mexico, Uruguay, and hosts South Africa in Group A.

Patrick Vieira of Manchester City, forward Karim Benzema of Real Madrid, and Samir Nasri of Arsenal were among those not included in the 30-man squad.

Current French squad captain Thierry Henry was part of the 1998 team that won the World Cup but didn’t play in the finals. He appeared mostly as substitute this season for Barcelona, but remains to be a significant figure in France.

The other players included in the squad are Arsenal’s Abou Diaby, Bacary Sagna, and Gael Clichy, Chelsea’s Nicolas Anelka and Florent Malouda, and Manchester United’s Patrice Eyra.

Striker Djibril Cisse, who had 29 goals for Panathinaikos, the Greek champions, was also included in the squad, his first ever call-up since he was cut from the French team before the European Championship in 2008.

World Cup winner Laurent Blanc will quit his post as Bordeaux’s coach and become France’s manager after the World Cup this summer, replacing current boss Raymond Domenech.

The 44-year-old former defender of Manchester United led Bordeaux during last year’s League and Cup Double. However, his team finished the season with no trophy. He was included in the French team that prevailed in the 1998 World Cup as well as the Euro 2000.

France’s federation is anticipated to formally confirm Blanc as the successor of Domenech on Thursday.

“Girondons Bordeaux have been informed by Laurent Blanc that he wanted to answer favourably to the French federation (FFF)’s solicitation to become the France coach”, said Bordeaux in a statement. “Girondins Bordeaux expect to hear from the FFF on the question of the compensation linked to the release of their coach”.

Blanc had been successful in his career as the centre-back of Marseille, Inter Milan, and Barcelona. However, after his success as Bordeaux’s manager in 2009, his team only finished sixth this season and was eliminated from the Champions League during the quarterfinals by Lyon.

Domenech also suffered the frustrations of the fans, after a disappointing campaign in the Euro 2008 where the French squad only gained one point and finished at the bottom of the group.

Yet the French manager said that he had not been informed yet whether Blanc will replace him after next month’s World Cup in South Africa.

“I’m not the one who decides on this”, Domenech said. “Blanc proved he was able to be in charge at club level. But coaching a national team is a different job. He will have to be ready immediately because the Euro 2012 qualifying campaign starts in September”.

France will begin their campaign in the World Cup on 11 June against Uruguay.

French coach Raymond Domenech announced live Tuesday on French TV that Manchester City’s Patrick Vieira will not be part of the Les Bleus squad at the 2010 World Cup.

The decision is going to be twice as heartbreaking for the French midfielder. The Senegal-born playmaker will not only miss the greatest tournament in football, but also miss the first time Africa will host the tournament.

The former French national captain, who will turn 34 in June, is considered a player of global significance and a football hero in France, having numerous achievements in his career. World Cup champion in 1998, finalist in 2006, and winner of Euro 2000, his name will forever be associated with the finest moments of the French national team.

In spite of his colossal reputation, Domenech wasn’t impressed, saying: “He made some efforts but there are times when a choice has to be made”. He did, however, describe his decision as a “wrench”.

“He [Domenech] made his choice. It is a sport choice, I accept it”, said Vieira on Canal Plus Sport after hearing the news on TV.

However, the unstoppable midfielder also revealed that he didn’t appreciate how the French coach delivered the blow. He said, “To learn it at the last moment, it is a just a lack of class. That’s what annoys me the most. Some coaches know how to do it, others do not”.

However, Vieira emphasised that this will not be the end of his football career, saying: “Of course I will continue to play. I’m passionate about and love football. I am lucky to play at a big club that has ambition”.

With his exclusion from the national squad, a chapter of French football’s history has closed.

FIFA has officially declared that three former junior internationals from France are now cleared to play at the World Cup for Algeria.

The world’s governing body for football on Tuesday approved the request of Habib Belaid, Mohamed Chakhouri, and Ryad Boudebouz to have their nationality changed. This means that they will be eligible to play at the World Cup for the Desert Warriors in June.

The decision comes as a boost for Algeria as the nation’s team lost some of their players to injuries.

The three players, who were once part of the junior team of France, were allowed to be part of the Algerian squad because they have dual nationality and have not yet been capped for the senior level.

Boudebouz and Belaid have been named this month in the 25-man interim squad by Algerian coach Rabah Saadane for their pre-World Cup training, which will kick of in Switzerland on Thursday.

FIFA stated that Algeria also sent a request about Carl Medjani, the former Liverpool midfielder who is currently playing for Ajaccio in France’s second division.

“The matter is being assessed and a decision will be taken very soon”, said a FIFA spokesperson.

Algeria will compete against Slovenia, the US, and England for Group C in the World Cup.

Meanwhile, FIFA said that it has not yet decided on the status of Kevin-Prince Boateng, the former international midfielder of Germany U21. Boateng applied to switch his nationality to be able to play for Ghana.