Former French Open champion Gimeno dies aged 82

(Reuters) - The former Spanish tennis player Andres Gimeno, who won the French Open in 1972, died on Wednesday from cancer aged 82.

Nineteen times Grand Slam champion Rafael Nadal was among those to pay tribute to Gimeno.

"I've just been given the sad news of the death of Andres Gimeno, who was without doubt one of the pioneers of tennis in Spain," Nadal wrote on Twitter.

"I send my condolences to his family. RIP."

Gimeno, who won one Grand Slam and was Australian Open runner-up in 1969, remains the oldest player to win Roland Garros, lifting the trophy aged 34 after beating Frenchman Patrick Proisy in the final.

(Reporting by Richard Martin; Editing by Toby Davis)