Paris ? Trying desperately to keep her first Grand Slam singles match in 10 years competitive, Martina Navratilova was racing to hit a ball when she stumbled, landing on her knees behind the baseline.

Her opponent, Gisela Dulko, went to the net to make sure everything was fine. After all, Navratilova is a living legend — and the same age as Dulko’s mother, 47.

“Yeah, I’m OK,” Navratilova said, then grabbed a towel to wipe off the French Open’s clay caked to her arms and legs. About five minutes later, the first-round match ended Tuesday in a 6-1, 6-3 victory for Dulko, a 19-year-old Argentine with zero tour titles, 167 fewer than Navratilova.

Still, it wasn’t the result that mattered to Navratilova or the crowd. All were excited that she was out there, charging the net, just like the good ol’ days.

“It’s not about getting publicity. It’s not about getting on TV. It’s not about anything else other than just playing matches and getting better,” said Navratilova.”

She retired in 1994, then returned as a doubles player in 2000. This was her third singles match of the year; the other two were losses in smaller events.

“This is my last year playing. Not because I couldn’t do it for a few more years,” said Navratilova, whose Grand Slam debut came at the 1973 French Open.

Serena Williams, Venus Williams, Mary Pierce and Conchita Martinez Tuesday won in straight sets. But Jennifer Capriati struggled in a 6-2, 4-6, 6-4 victory over Yulia Beygelzimer, a Ukrainian ranked 116th, and about whom Capriati said: “I had no idea who this girl was.”

No. 1-ranked Roger Federer had a straight-sets victory to open his bid to become the first man in a dozen years to win the season’s first two majors.