Rafael Nadal vs. Sam Groth: Score and Reaction from 2016 French Open

Nine-time French Open champion Rafael Nadal cruised into the second round at Roland Garros Tuesday with a convincing, 6-1, 6-1, 6-1 victory over big-serving Sam Groth. 

After failing to win the French Open last year for the first time since 2009, the 29-year-old Spaniard established himself as a top contender in Paris once again by easily dispatching a talented and powerful opponent.

Per Jeff Sackmann of TennisAbstract.com, Tuesday's victory was the quickest and most dominant of Nadal's illustrious career at Roland Garros:

"

It's official -- at 1:22, that's Rafael Nadal's fastest Roland Garros win. Previous speed record was 1:33, vs Lajovic in 2014.

— Jeff Sackmann (@tennisabstract) May 24, 2016"

Nadal's uncle and coach, Toni Nadal, suggested nerves could play a role ahead of his first-round match, according to RolandGarros.com, but that didn't appear to be the case on Tuesday: "The first round is complicated because Roland Garros is where a big part of our season plays out. Rafa's always a bit nervous during the first rounds here. He always has been in the past. I don't think anything will change this year."

Rafa was in clear and obvious control of the match from the very start, as he broke Groth on three occasions in the first set alone.

As Pau Ferragut of Ultima Hora Radio pointed out, Groth's aggressive play worked to his disadvantage:

Groth did manage a single hold of serve, but Nadal breezed through the first set in just 25 minutes, and he made it clear that it would likely be a short day at the office.

Since Groth was so thoroughly dominated in the opening set, Ricky Dimon of TennisTalk.com joked that taking a game was a major accomplishment:

While Nadal is known by many as the King of Clay, Groth has enjoyed very little success on the red stuff over the course of his career.

He knew he was in for a massive challenge and was hoping for a miracle during the lead-up to the match:

That miracle never came, as the Spanish lefty continued his assault in the second set by once again taking it 6-1 and reaching the third set in less than an hour.

Nadal pulled off no shortage of dazzling shots throughout the match, but this lob courtesy of Roland Garros on Twitter in the second set was unquestionably among his best:

Groth found himself in survival mode during the third set, but Rafa refused to give him an inch, as his mastery of the clay was on full display.

His shotmaking was so spectacular that Groth was left in pure disbelief at times, according to Andrew Brown of Fairfax Media:

Groth could hardly buy a point as Nadal turned impossible situations into winners, as evidenced by this between-the-legs masterpiece:

By virtue of shots like that one, Rafa sealed the deal in the third set and punched his ticket into the second round without breaking much of a sweat.

The past couple years have been a struggle for Nadal after dominating the sport for so long, but he showed that he may still very well be the best clay-court player in the world when healthy and on his game.

The 14-time Grand Slam winner fired on all cylinders Tuesday, and he is clearly a threat to win his 10th French Open title if that level of play carries over to the ensuing rounds.

Although his draw could have some tricky moments, everything is set up for him to clash with top-seeded Novak Djokovic in the semifinals.

Djoker has had his number as of late, winning each of their past seven meetings, but Nadal's current form appears to be better than it has been in quite some time.

The level of competition will be raised significantly in the upcoming rounds for the No. 4 seed, but few players could have contended with Nadal Tuesday based on how cleanly and efficiently he performed from start to finish.

Nadal may have entered the French Open with a chip on his shoulder for the first time after bowing out last year, and if Tuesday's showing was any indication, he is bound and determined to reclaim his throne at Roland Garros.

Follow @MikeChiari on Twitter.