PARIS, May 29: James Blake matched his best showing at the French Open, and all he had to do was win a single match. Playing with the flair that has helped him crack the top 10 this year, Blake beat Paradorn Srichaphan 6-0, 6-4, 7-6 (3) in the first round on Monday.

Blake lost in the second round in his three previous appearances at Roland Garros. He's 3-4 this year on clay, a surface that has long vexed Americans, but he has won two hard-court titles in 2006 and is seeded eighth.

''I'm hoping I keep moving forward and keep progressing,'' Blake said. ''I feel like I'm getting better, especially on clay. It's fun being where I am right now.''

On the women's side, five-time Grand Slam champion Venus Williams won playing only her 10th match of the year. Seeded 11th, Williams beat Sybille Bammer 6-4, 6-3.

Gusty wind kicked up clouds of clay and contributed to plenty of sloppy play.

Williams had seven double-faults and 33 unforced errors, but moved forward aggressively and won 19 of 25 points at the net.

It was the first Grand Slam victory this year for Williams, who lost in the opening round at the Australian Open and was then sidelined for 3{ months by injuries.

In another mistake-filled match, two-time runner-up Kim Clijsters overcame a 5-2 deficit in the second set and three set points to beat Virginie Razzano 6-0, 7-6 (4).

Seeded second, Clijsters committed five double-faults and 32 unforced errors.

Blake will next play Spaniard Nicolas Almagro, who improved to 19-6 on clay this year by beating Wayne Arthurs 7-5, 6-2, 6-2.

Almagro figures to be a more formidable challenge than Paradorn, whose record on clay fell to 0-6 this year and 12-33 lifetime.

''The next round will be more normal clay-court tennis, and it will be interesting to see how good I've gotten at that,'' Blake said.

''I feel like I've improved so much since last year. I'm excited to play one of the best clay-courters and see how I can do.''

Gaston Gaudio showed the steady baseline game that helped him win the championship two years ago as he beat qualifier Roko Karanusic 6-2, 6-2, 6-2.

The No. 10-seeded Gaudio has yet to win a tournament this year and arrived in Paris with a three-match losing streak. But he faced little resistance from Karanusic, the 180th-ranked Croatian who was playing in his first tour-level match of the year.

''It was quite easy to win for me,'' Gaudio said. ''It's the first time he plays in Roland Garros, so I made the most of that opportunity.''

Karanusic's career tour record fell to 1-12, including 0-5 in majors.

Another former champion, 2003 winner Juan Carlos Ferrero, beat 17-year-old qualifier Juan Martin Del Potro 6-3, 2-6, 6-2, 6-4.

Ferrero, seeded 24th, had 45 unforced errors but also 52 winners.

''I played at a good level,'' Ferrero said. ''I have a lot of confidence with my forehand and my backhand ... I am 100 percent fit.''

No. 26-seeded Jose Acasuso and No. 32 Nicolas Massu won five-setters. Acasuso edged Fabrice Santoro 6-3, 6-1, 3-6, 1-6, 11-9 in a match suspended in the final set Sunday because of darkness. Massu outlasted Xavier Malisse 6-1, 7-5, 1-6, 4-6, 9-7.

No. 18 Elena Likhovtseva, a semifinalist last year, became the first seeded player to be eliminated. Karolina Sprem hit 32 winners to beat Likhovtseva 6-1, 6-1.

In the opening match on center court, No. 7-seeded Patty Schnyder hit nine aces and beat 17-year-old Michaella Krajicek 6-1, 6-2.

Schnyder, who hit 28 winners to nine for Krajicek, won four games at love and advanced in 57 minutes. She said she shook a recent slump when she switched rackets.

''I tried everything during training sessions. The problem was the racket,'' Schnyder said.

''With my new racket, after two or three shots I felt, 'This was my racket.' I'm delighted that I've found this racket. I have very good feelings with it.''

No. 9 Francesca Schiavone defeated Alona Bondarenko 6-4, 6-3.

In other men's play, No. 13 Nicolas Kiefer improved to 6-0 against Jurgen Melzer by winning 7-6 (4), 6-3, 6-1. No. 21-seeded Sebastien Grosjean celebrated his 28th birthday by beating Andrei Pavel 6-3, 6-2, 6-3.

No. 11 Radek Stepanek beat Michael Llodra, France, 6-4, 6-4, 6-2. No. 31 Dmitry Tursunov, who arrived at Paris with a 1-5 clay-court record this year, swept Jiri Novak 6-2, 6-3, 6-2.

Results (x denotes seeding):

Men’s (first round): Gaston Gaudio (ARG x10) bt Roko Karanusic (CRO) 6-2, 6-2, 6-2; Juan Carlos Ferrero (ESP x24) bt Juan Martin Del Potro (ARG) 6-3, 2-6, 6-2, 6-4; Yevgeny Korolev (RUS) bt Andreas Seppi (ITA) 6-4, 2-6, 3-6, 7-5, 6-1; Mikhail Youzhny (RUS) bt Sasa Tuksar (CRO) 6-3, 6-3, 3-6, 6-0; Alejandro Falla (COL) bt Justin Gimelstob (USA) 6-4, 6-4, 6-2; Ilia Bozoljac (SEM) bt Boris Pashanski (SEM) 6-4, 6-3, 6-4; Max Mirnyi (BLR) bt Gilles Muller (LUX) 6-3, 6-1, 7-6 (7/3); Dmitry Tursunov (RUS x31) bt Jiri Novak (CZE) 6-2, 6-3, 6-2; Jose Acasuso (ARG x26) bt Fabrice Santoro (FRA) 6-3, 6-1, 3-6, 1-6, 11-9; Nicolas Kiefer (GER x13) bt Jurgen Melzer (AUT) 7-6 (7/4), 6-3, 6-1; Philipp Kohlschreiber (GER) bt Oliver Marach (AUT) 6-3, 7-5, 6-7 (8/6), 6-2; James Blake (USA x8) bt Paradorn Srichaphan (THA) 6-0, 6-4, 7-6 (7/3); Flavio Saretta (BRA) bt Potito Starace (ITA) 6-7 (7/2), 2-6, 6-4, 7-6 (7/1), 6-3; Richard Gasquet (FRA) bt Yeu-Tzuoo Wang (TPE) 6-4, 6-1, 7-5.

Women’s: Patty Schnyder (SUI x7) bt Michaella Krajicek (NED) 6-1, 6-2; Francesca Schiavone (ITA x9) bt Alona Bondarenko (UKR) 6-3, 6-4; Karolina Sprem (CRO) bt Elena Likhovtseva (RUS x18) 6-1, 6-1; Vera Dushevina (RUS) bt Anastassia Rodionova (RUS) 6-3, 6-2; Jelena Jankovic (SEM) bt Laura Pous Tio (ESP) 7-5, 6-4; Anda Perianu (ROM) bt Lucie Safarova (CZE) 6-1, 7-6 (9-7); Jarmila Gajdosova (SVK) bt Stephanie Cohen-Aloro (FRA) 6-2, 5-7, 6-3; Catalina Castano (COL) bt Aiko Nakamura (JPN) 4-6, 6-3, 6-1; Hana Sromova (CZE) bt Roberta Vinci (ITA) 6-1, 7-5; Aravane Rezai (FRA) bt Alberta Brianti (ITA) 6-4, 7-6 (7/1); Sofia Arvidsson (SWE x29) bt Maria Vento-Kabchi (VEN) 6-4, 6-2; Katarina Srebotnik (SLO x24) bt Anna Smashnova (ISR) 6-4, 4-6, 6-2; Kim Clijsters (BEL x2) bt Virginie Razzano (FRA) 6-0, 7-6 (7/4).—Agencies