Back at the French Open for the first time since 2012, Juan Martin del Potro had some trouble finding his way around the halls of Roland Garros.

"I never find the place where I have to go," joked the Argentine tennis player.

Del Potro had no trouble finding his best form once he reached Court Six. The Argentine giant unleashed his intimidating forehand and powerful serves to defeat his compatriot Guido Pella 6-2, 6-1, 6-4 on Tuesday and advance to the second round of the clay Grand Slam.

The only evidence of the wrist injuries and surgeries that have troubled Del Potro in recent years was his weak backhand, the Achilles heel of the 28-year-old player nicknamed the "Tower of Tandil".

"He played better than me," Pella summarized.

Del Potro, the champion of the 2009 US Open, is the 29th seed at Roland Garros, where he plays for the first time since reaching the quarterfinals five years ago.

Against Pella, he hit 13 aces and nearly twice as many winners, 33-17.

Only one of those winners came from the backhand, the shot that has caused him the most problems since he underwent several surgeries on his left wrist. Del Potro is right-handed, but he uses both hands for the backhand, which has lately been reduced to a harmless slice.

"He has a weakness, and I tried to exploit it," Pella added.

Del Potro missed the Grand Slams for two and a half years due to three surgeries on his left wrist, until he finally returned to the majors at Wimbledon in 2016.

The Argentine also won the silver medal at the Rio de Janeiro Olympics, where he eliminated Novak Djokovic in the first round and lost to Andy Murray in the final.

"Today I was able to show that my weak point, which used to be my weak point until recently, my backhand, has improved. I think his strategy (Pella's) was to try to force me to use my backhand, and he realized that it is no longer my weak point and that I was able to use my backhand quite well," Del Potro said about the duel against his compatriot and Davis Cup teammate.

"But it is true that sometimes it bothers me a little, because I know that my backhand is not what it used to be."

Clay has never been Del Potro's favorite surface, as his power is more effective on faster courts. Nevertheless, in 2009 he reached the semifinals where he lost to Roger Federer.

"That year I thought it would be my year," he recalled.

Del Potro will face Spanish player Nicolas Almagro in the second round, and could meet Murray in the third.

"I have a patient attitude, we'll see what happens," he said. "I try not to complicate things too much, I try not to set long-term goals. I go match by match."