Edmund, who is the current world number 84, produced the performance of his career to clinch a 6-2, 6-3, 6-3 triumph over the Frenchman, a semi-finalist at the last Grand Slam event of the season back in 2013.

The 21-year-old, who was a member of the British team which won the Davis Cup last year, will take on American wildcard Ernesto Escobedo in round two.

World number one Novak Djokovic battled through his opening match as he put in another out-of-sorts display on his way to a four-set victory in his clash with Poland’s Jerzy Janowicz.

The Serbian, who has endured a turbulent time of late having been knocked out of the third round at Wimbledon and in the first round at the Rio 2016 Olympic Games, was nursing an arm injury but was able to claim a 6-3, 5-7, 6-2, 6-1 success.

The defending champion needed the trainer on court in the first set and was visibly struggling throughout before he eventually managed to edge over the winning line.

Jiří Veselý of the Czech Republic awaits for Djokovic in the second round.

“Hopefully as the tournament progresses, I'll reach my peak,” Djokovic said.

“There are periods when you're not feeling 100 per cent but I don't think it's necessary to talk about this now.

“I'm just glad to come through this day and let's keep on moving.”

Elsewhere in the men’s draw, Spaniard Rafael Nadal, seeded fourth, breezed past Denis Istomin of Uzbekistan 6-1, 6-4, 6-2, while fifth seed Milos Raonic of Canada beat Germany’s Dustin Brown 7-5, 6-3, 6-4.

In the women’s competition, Olympic champion Monica Puig - Puerto Rico’s first-ever gold medallist - was unable to replicate her Rio 2016 form as she crashed out with a 6-4, 6-2 defeat at the hands of unseeded Chinese player Zheng Saisai.

Angelique Kerber of Germany, the Olympic silver medallist and Australian Open champion, was leading 6-0, 1-0 when her opponent, Polona Hercog of Slovenia, retired hurt.

Italy’s Roberta Vinci, last year’s runner up, is also safely through as she beat Germany’ Anna-Lena Friedsam 6-2, 6-4, but compatriot Sara Errani was dumped out of the tournament after she suffered a 6-4, 7-6 loss to American Shelby Rogers.

French Open champion Garbine Muguruza of Spain, seeded third, survived a scare as she had to fight back from a set down before overcoming Belgium’s Elise Mertens 2-6, 6-0, 6-3.