The world number one beat American journeyman Michael Russell 6-4, 6-2, 6-4 in a match which had been held over since Monday, one of many victims of the torrential rain which swamped Paris on the opening two days of the tournament.

Federer led 6-4, 4-1 when play was halted the previous evening, but he took less than 50 minutes to wrap up victory in bright sunshine on Court Philippe Chatrier on Tuesday to set up a second round meeting with French wildcard Thierry Ascione.

Spain's Tommy Robredo, the ninth seed and who could face Federer in the quarterfinals, also went through beating Argentina's Sergio Roitman 6-3, 6-4, 6-2.

Argentina's 19th seed Guillermo Canas, playing here for the first time since serving a 15-month doping ban and who has defeated Federer twice this season, was also a first round winner Tuesday.

Canas, twice a Roland Garros quarterfinalist, defeated Victor Hanescu of Romania 6-3, 6-1, 6-4.

It was promising to be a bumper day of action at the French Open, where organisers are trying to relieve the backlog caused by two days of heavy rain which meant only 14 matches were completed on Sunday and Monday.

In the women's championship, where prize money matches the men's for the first time, fourth seed Jelena Jankovic, sixth seed Nicole Vaidisova and 13th seed Elena Dementieva all cruised into the second round.

Serbia's Jankovic, buoyed by victory in Rome in the run-up to Roland Garros, eased past France's Stephanie Foretz 6-2, 6-2 while Czech teenager Vaidisova, a semifinalist in 2006, saw off Switzerland's Emmanuelle Gagliardi 6-4, 6-3.

Russia's Dementieva, the runner-up to compatriot Anastasia Myskina in 2004, was also a comfortable winner beating Germany's Angelique Kerber 6-3, 6-2.

Jankovic is being talked off as a potential champion at Roland Garros after winning three titles in 2007 and she said she is over the illness which forced her to pull out of the Strasbourg semifinals last week.

"It was almost 40 degrees there last week and I was throwing up," said the 22-year-old.

"But I'm OK now. Being one of the favourites here doesn't bother me. I just try to give my maximum on court, that's all I care about."

Russian 11th seed Nadia Petrova, a semifinalist in 2003 and 2005, was knocked out losing 7-5, 5-7, 6-0 to Czech qualifier Kveta Peschke.

Petrova needed treatment on a back injury at the start of the second set and her movement became more restricted as the tie went on.

Russian 13th seed Mikhail Youzhny reached the second round when Czech opponent Jan Hernych withdrew because of a back injury during the first game.

Dutchman Martin Verkerk, the shock runner-up to Juan Carlos Ferrero in 2003 but who has slumped to 717 in the world after missing two years with a shoulder injury, couldn't repeat the magic of four years ago.

He slumped to a 6-1, 6-4, 6-4 defeat to Italy's Simone Bolelli to leave him still without a victory on the main tour since July 2004.