While none of the favourites were in action during the first day of play at the 2012 French Open, the likes of Juan del Potro and Jo-Wilfried Tsonga made it through to the second round with little trouble. Unfortunately, American Andy Roddick was not so lucky, after once again, falling in the first round at Roland Garros.

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Edmonton - May 28, 2012 - While none of the favourites were in action during the first day of play at the 2012 French Open, the likes of Juan del Potro and Jo-Wilfried Tsonga made it through to the second round with little trouble. Unfortunately, American Andy Roddick was not so lucky, after once again, falling in the first round at Roland Garros. The ninth seeded del Potro dismissed Spaniard Albert Montanes in four sets to move on to round two. While Russian Andrey Kuznetsov managed to give Tsonga a slight scare, after easily taking the opening set. That seemed to wake up the number five seed, who then proceeded to make quick work of the twenty-one year old.

The twenty-three year old Argentine was in fine form, pounding out fifty-six winners and breaking Montanes seven times. After dropping a tight second set tiebreaker, the former US Open champion, righted the ship in winning. 6-2, 6-7, 6-2, 6-1. He will now face Edouard Roger-Vasselin in the next round, after the Frenchman took care of Canadian Vasek Pospisil 3-6, 6-3, 6-2, 6-2.

As for the talented Tsonga, things could not have got off to a poorer start. He hit all of four winners in the first set and went zero for eight on break point opportunities. To make matters worse, he dropped his own serve twice and quickly lost the opener to the Russian youngster. His unexpected situation clearly made an impression on the former Wimbledon and Australian Open semi finalist, as he breezed the rest of the way, taking the match 1-6, 6-3, 6-2, 6-4.

Which brings us to Mr.Roddick. The soon to be thirty year old former number one player in the world, continued his spiral down the rankings, falling in four to Nicolas Mahu. It was only the second time in nine appearances at the Open that Mahu has made it out of the first round. In what was a closer match then the score might indicate, the Frenchman rode a strong return of serve to a perfect seven for seven on break point opportunities. The 3-6, 3-6, 6-4, 2-6 defeat marked the fifth time Roddick has been eliminated in the first round, in nine appearances at Roland Garros. The loss leaves him with a dreadful 7-9 mark, on what has been yet another disappointing campaign for the former US Open winner.

Day Two of action will feature the opening match for top seed Novak Djokovic and number three ranked Roger Federer. The world's top player will take on Italian Potito Starace, while Federer faces German Tobias Kamke. In other first round play, Canadian Milos Raonic will make his French Open debut against Spaniard Ruben Ramirez Hidalgo.