Mahut's 4-6, 6-4, 7-5 defeat of Finland's Jarkko Nieminen earns him the thrill of playing top seed Juan Carlos Ferrero [ Images ] in the second round.

"That win means I don't have to play next week (in a challenger tournament). I've already booked my place in the Australian Open [ Images ] draw," said Mahut, who hopes a right leg injury will not hamper him against the world number one.

Two French youngsters, whose careers appear in danger of stalling after a fine 2002, Richard Gasquet and Paul-Henri Mathieu, lost after being in control of the first set.

Gasquet, 17, wasted six match points in a second set tiebreak against Gaston Gaudio of Argentina before going down 1-6, 7-6, 6-4 while Mathieu held three set points before losing 7-5, 6-4 to Morocco's Hicham Arazi.

It was Mathieu's first appearance in the Bercy stadium since he lost the final match of last year's Davis Cup final against Russia [ Images ] after being two sets up against Mikhail Youzhny.

The 21-year-old, whose spirit was almost broken by his Davis Cup trauma, has had a terrible year and the defeat by Arazi was his 14th first round loss this season.

Mathieu feels he has aged 10 years in the past 11 months. "I thought I had a tough skin but I realise now it wasn't thick enough," he said.

French qualifier Gregory Carraz beat Czech Radek Stepanek 2-6, 6-2, 7-6.

Britain's Tim Henman [ Images ] thumped Russian Nikolay Davydenko [ Images ] 6-3, 6-4 to book a second-round showdown with his 2003 nemesis Sebastien Grosjean.

Henman, who is determined to end a frustrating year in style, has been beaten by Grosjean twice on his favourite grass surface this season, including in the Wimbledon [ Images ] quarter-final.

The Frenchman needs to win the title here to have any chance of earning the final spot in the season-ending Masters Cup.

"This is a good opportunity to get revenge on his home turf," said Henman, whose season has been hobbled by surgery to his right shoulder.

"There is a lot more at stake for him than me and I have got to take advantage."

Spain's Albert Costa, French Open [ Images ] champion last year, also reached the second round of the final Masters event of the year, beating Argentina's Mariano Zabaleta 6-7, 6-4, 7-5.