Rafael Nadal extends French Open win streak to 36 matches

— -- PARIS --  Rafael Nadal didn't really get much of a test in the first round.

The nine-time French Open champion began his bid for title No. 10 at the clay-court Grand Slam tournament Tuesday with a quiet 6-3, 6-3, 6-4 victory over Quentin Halys, an 18-year-old wild-card entry from France who is ranked 296th and had never played a match at a major tournament.

Nadal, who lost his only match on the Parisian dirt when he was taken out by Robin Soderling in the fourth round in 2009, extended his impressive record at Roland Garros to 67-1.

There were many question marks surrounding Nadal's form ahead of the tournament after he dropped to seventh in the rankings following a laborious start to the season. He entered the tournament with five losses on clay, the first time he's had more than three in a year since dropping six back in 2003 as a teenager.

His victory over Halys is unlikely to give him much indication about his current level, but at least it was a smooth start to the tournament.

Because of his low seeding, Nadal could face top-ranked Novak Djokovic as soon as the quarterfinals this year. Carrying a 22-match winning streak into the tournament where he chases the only Grand Slam title missing from his collection, the Serb was up against Jarkko Nieminen later on center court.

Over on Court 2, reigning U.S. Open champion Marin Cilic eased into the second round by beating Robin Haase 6-2, 6-4, 6-2.

It's Cilic's first Grand Slam match since winning his title in New York in September. He missed the Australian Open in January because of an injured shoulder.

Also advancing was David Ferrer, who recorded his 300th career match win on his favorite surface with a 6-1, 6-3, 6-1 win over 94th-ranked Lukas Lacko on Court Suzanne Lenglen.

The seventh-seeded Ferrer, who punctuated the match with a final cross-court forehand winner at the net, has won all 13 of his career first-round matches at the clay-court major.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.