Nadal hopes it will be third time lucky in soggy Paris

Rafael Nadal will be hoping it will be third time lucky when he returns to complete his first round match against Brazilian qualifier Thomaz Bellucci at the rain-hit French Open on Wednesday.

• The Spaniard, unbeaten at Roland Garros since making his debut in 2005, had been scheduled to play his match on Monday but has so far been thwarted by the showers that have dogged this year’s claycourt major.
• After returning to his hotel without hitting a ball on Monday, he managed to contest only two games on Tuesday when rain again cut short the day’s action.
• Women’s top seed Maria Sharapova is another player who has yet to open her account and weather permitting will be first up on Centre Court against fellow Russian Evgeniya Rodina, a 19-year-old ranked 103rd in the world.
• Among the others also playing catch up are fifth-seeded Spaniard David Ferrer and 2003 champion Juan Carlos Ferrero.
• Ferrer meets unseeded Belgian Steve Darcis while Ferrero, the only man to beat Nadal on clay since last year’s Hamburg final, plays Brazil’s Marcos Daniel.
• While organizers will hope the rain will relent and allow the remaining 60 first-round matches to be completed, Serbians Novak Djokovic and Ana Ivanovic and former champion Serena Williams will be aiming to progress to the third round.