Richard booked his spot in the second round of the Open 13 in Marseille with a 6-3, 6-3 victory over Simone Bolelli.
Richard was extemely dominant on serve throughout the match, firing 17 aces and dropping just two points on serve as he sealed victory over the Italian in one hour and 10 minutes.
In the second round, Richard, the second seed, will face Robin Soderling of Sweden whom he lost to last year. Soderling defeated Nieminen in the first round.
Richard is appearing in Marseille for the fourth time. His best result came last year when he reached the quarterfinals.
Allez Richard!