Guest Author - Amy Ralston Young

It was a fantastic ending to a hard day as two of Spain's top players picked up wins in their opening matches at the French Open tennis tournament.

Perhaps the next Spanish sensation in tennis, Maria Sanchez Lorenzo defeated the returning French Open champ in the first round of play.

The 18-year-old sensation defeated Anastasia Mysinka, of Russia, in three hard-fought sets. Lorenzo took the first set 6-4, but Mysinka battled back to recapture the second set 4-6.

In the third set, everything seemed to go Lorenzo's way, as Mysinka lost her rhythm and her shot. Lorenzo took the third set 6-0.

This was the first time a defending French Open champion lost in the first round of play.

Lorenzo will face Emmanuelle Gagliardi of Switzerland in the second round on Wednesday.

Rafael Nadal followed Lorenzo's lead as he too cruised to a victory on Monday in Paris. Nadal, the No. 4 seed, has already won five clay-court titles this year.

Nadal faced Germany’s Lars Burgsmuller, defeating Burgsmuller in three sets. Set one seemed to go Nadal’s way as we crushed Burgsmuller 6-1. After going down 1-3 in set two, Nadal rebounded and won the next four points. Burgsmuller already had the momentum up, though and he won the set in a tough tie breaker.

Nadal was ready to fight in set three and cruised past his competition 6-1 to take the match.

Nadal returns to the court on Wednesday, taking on Belgium’s Xavier Malisse. Nadal beat Malisse in their recent match in Monte Carlo in two straight sets.

Both Lorenzo and Nadal will advance to Round 2 and continue their hopes of winning the French Open.