“Thankfully that’s still the case”, Wawrinka, who stunned world number one Novak Djokovic in last year’s final, told reporters.
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Ultimately Wawrinka escaped 4-6 6-1 3-6 6-3 6-4 against the Czech with a giant-killing reputation to barely avoid becoming the first reigning men’s champion at the French Open to exit in his opener the next season.
Viktor Troicki handed one-time hope Grigor Dimitrov his third straight loss in the Paris first round, 2-6, 6-3, 5-7, 7-5, 6-3.
In the final set, a backhand passing shot down the line earned a roar from the crowd and a break point that Wawrinka converted for a 2-1 lead and, eventually, the match.
Wawrinka and Rosol played four times before Monday, with Wawrinka winning each, most recently last week at Geneva.
The world No 4 rattled through the second set to level and seemingly get back on track, but 59th-ranked Rosol appeared on course for a repeat of his stunning 2012 win over Rafael Nadal at Wimbledon when he moved ahead once more in the next set.
“I came back to play a match, not to enjoy and think about what I did a year ago”, Wawrinka said.
Eighth seed Milos Raonic is also through to the second round after defeating former top-10 player Janko Tipsarevic 6-3 6-2 7-6 (7/5).
While Stepanek can rest and regroup before resuming his bid to make Murray the tournament’s first No. 2 seed to bow out in the first round since Pete Sampras in 2000, Rosol had no such opportunity to gather himself.
“It’s Roger Federer who first came up with it on Twitter during the Australian Open in 2014”.
Wawrinka next plays No. 93 ranked Taro Daniel of Japan, who advanced when Martin Klizan of Slovakia retired with an injury while trailing 3-6, 4-6, 7-5, 6-4, 3-0 in their first-round match.
Victory would give the 26-year-old Japanese his 50th Grand Slam win.
Fourth-seeded Garbine Muguruza had her headphones on, listening to music, when the supervisor announced the rain had stopped and it was time for her to head to court and she ended up having just 10 minutes to warm up for her match against Anna Karolina Schmiedlova.
Muguruza fired 44 winners but hit 53 unforced errors and had to save 17 of 21 break points.
Nishikori finishes things off with his fourth ace of the match in taking the third set 6-3.
In the women’s draw, Misaki Doi was down 6-2, 1-3 to Samantha Stosur of Australia when play was suspended until Tuesday morning due to darkness.
Jovanovski, the world number 120, is still without a win in 2016.
Rain has once again delayed the start of the French Open on day two.
Another six were later suspended.
Defending champion Stan Wawrinka is set to play Lukas Rosol on Court Philippe Chatrier, while Andy Murray will open his campaign at the clay-court Grand Slam tournament against Radek Stepanek, who qualified for the main draw at the age of 37.
Popular dreadlocked German qualifier Dustin Brown outlasted Dudi Sela, 6-7 (5-7), 6-4, 7-6 (7-5), 4-6, 6-4; and Jack Sock took a win over Dutchman Robin Haase, 6-3, 7-5, 3-6, 6-7 (3-7), 6-2.
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Tipsarevic, ranked at 686, was playing his first Roland Garros since 2013 after being treated for a benign tumour on his left foot.
