Sixth seed Andy Roddick booked his place in the French Open second round with a gruelling 6-2 4-6 4-6 7-6 6-3 win over Finn Jarkko Nieminen.

American Roddick, who has not played an ATP match on clay this season, took the first set before the world number 69 bounced back to take the next two.

But Roddick broke in the fifth and final game of the final set to take victory in three hours and 19 minutes.

Seventh seed Fernando Verdasco beat Igor Kunitsyn 6-4 6-2 6-2.

But there was no luck for 26th seed Juan Monaco who fell 7-6 (8-6) 3-6 7-5 6-3 to qualifier Grega Zemlja.

Last week, Spaniard Verdasco lost his temper during his 6-3 5-7 7-6 (7-5) loss to Richard Gasquet in the final of the Nice Open and shouted back at the crowd who were booing him.

But there was no vitriolic response from the crowd at Roland Garros.

"It was no problem for me today," said Verdasco.

"Of course, you expect the worst all the time. If it's the worst you're not going to be disappointed, not too surprised."

Four-time men's champion Rafael Nadal begins his campaign against French teenager Gianni Mina later on Tuesday.