Chinese number one Li Na advanced to the French Open second round after edging French 17-year-old Kristina Mladenovic 7-5, 6-3 on Court Suzanne Lenglen here on Monday.

Mladenovic, the reigning junior champion and the youngest player in the draw, held her own throughout a competitive match but world number 12 Li eventually prevailed in one hour and 39 minutes.

Li, who reached the Australian Open semi-finals earlier this year, will face either Canada's Stephanie Dubois or Frenchwoman Stephanie Cohen-Aloro in the next round.

The Chinese broke her opponent's serve first but Mladenovic broke back immediately and when Li handed her a chance to go a break up in the seventh game, she took it with a pinpoint backhand return across the court.

Li, the 11th seed, levelled things up straight away by breaking back in the next game though and took a one-set lead when the stretching teenager slammed an attempted forehand into the ground at 5-6 and 15-40 down.

The players exchanged breaks early in the second set before Li hit back from 15-40 down in the sixth game to secure the decisive break and then fought off three break points in the final game to book her place in round two.