If a rising star could pick the brains of any player in the world about conquering the clay of Roland Garros then 12-time champion Rafael Nadal would undoubtedly top the poll. Great Britain’s Matilda Mutavdzic may just have the inside track.

Mutavdzic, who is seeded No. 15 in the girls’ draw, made a winning start to her Roland Garros Junior Championships campaign, beating Brazilian wild card Ana Candiotto 7-5 6-1 to set up a second-round clash with Russia’s Elina Avanesyan.

In March, the 16-year-old relocated to Spain and began training at Rafael Nadal’s academy in Manacor, where she is coached by Gabriel Urpi, and is now looking to showcase her upgraded brand of tennis in Paris.

“I love it at Rafa Nadal Academy. Everybody is super professional and super motivated and it’s just a great atmosphere for me to work on my goals,” Mutavdzic, who also receives a range of support from the LTA's Men's and Women's Programme - which is for the best 16-21 year old players in Great Britain who are aiming to get to Pro Scholarship level, told itftennis.com.

“My parents and I were trying to find a place like that, a place where I can move forward and it ticked all the boxes. All the staff and everybody there makes it so special, including Rafa himself and Toni [Nadal], and it’s a great pool of people to train with.

“All aspects of my game have definitely improved since starting there: serve, how fast I’m hitting the ball, mentally – everything. It has all improved drastically.

“We also get to see Rafa quite frequently and he is very aware of how each and every player is doing, how they are competing and their results.

“Depending on where I have been and who I have played, he has offered me lots of words of encouragement, advice and tricks of the trade, especially about how to approach the match and deal with any pre-match nerves.”

Mutavdzic warmed up for the Roland Garros Junior Championships by winning her first professional tournament at W15 Melilla, although the victory itself was not the only confidence booster.

A first-round triumph over Russia’s Oksana Selekhmeteva preceded semi-final success against Australian Open girls’ champion Victoria Jimenez Kasintseva, who is the top-ranked girl in the world and the No. 1 seed in the French capital.

“That [beating Jimenez Kasintseva] was extra special, especially as she is the top player currently on the junior circuit,” said Mutavdzic.  

“I lost to her in the first round of the Australian Open in three sets so this win was extra special and I was motivated for that match. It was my chance to get revenge.

“She is seeded No.1 in this tournament so it really doesn’t get better than beating the No. 1 seed in the week leading up to a Junior Grand Slam.

“Winning the W15 has given me a lot of confidence, especially given there were four other girls playing in the tournament that are here and a number are seeded players. Winning has put me in a good position and has given me a lot of confidence.”

It was far from a universally productive day for seeded players in the girls’ draw as Poland’s Weronika Baszak, Kamilla Bartone of Latvia and Czech Republic’s Linda Fruhvirtova all bowed out. Baszak’s defeat was a first-round encounter, while Bartone and Fruhvirtova were playing their second-round matches. As it stands, only eight of 16 seeded players remain in contention.

No. 2 seed Alexandra Eala and fourth seed Polina Kudermetova, meanwhile, safely secured their passage to the third round with victories over Germany's Mara Guth and Ziva Falkner, who reached the Australian Open girls’ doubles final earlier this year alongside Mutavdzic, respectively. Fellow seeds Elsa Jacquemot, Selekhmeteva and Germany’s Alexandra Vecic, who were featuring in the first round, all progressed.

There were big name casualties in the boys’ draw also and none more so than top seed Harold Mayot, who was beaten in three sets by Serbia's Hamad Medjedovic. Mayot's demise has blown the boys' draw wide open and means there will be a new name added to the list of Junior Grand Slam winners on Saturday. 

Mayot was not the only seeded player to fall on day two as No. 3 seed Karlis Ozolins of Latvia was dispatched in convincing style by Argentina’s Juan Bautista Torres and Italian Luciano Darderi lost to Frenchman Arthur Fils.

No. 2 seed Arthur Cazaux, Great Britain's Arthur Fery and Dominic Stricker of Switzerland all reached the third round, while China’s Li Hanwen, Brazilian Gustavo Heide and home favourite Martin Breysach all safely made it to round two.