World number one Novak Djokovic and nine-time winner Rafael Nadal racked up Grand Slam milestones at the French Open yesterday as Serena Williams coasted into the third round.
Top seed Djokovic, looking for a Roland Garros title to complete a career Grand Slam, claimed his 50th win at the tournament by seeing off Belgian qualifier Steve Darcis 7-5, 6-3, 6-4. It was the Serb’s third win in three career meetings with Darcis, a player nicknamed ‘Shark’ who dumped Nadal out of Wimbledon in 2013.
But it was a far from a smooth display from the 11-time major winner and three-time French Open runner-up who committed 42 unforced errors. “He plays with a lot of speed, is good from the baseline and it was not easy for me to play the points the way I wanted,” Djokovic said of 32-year-old Darcis. “He has a lot of talent and it was tough. I am happy to have won in three sets.”
Djokovic next takes on Britain’s Slovenian-born Aljaz Bedene who reached the third round of a major for the first time with a 7-6 (7/4), 6-3, 4-6, 5-7, 6-2 win over Spain’s Pablo Carreno Busta.
Nine-time champion Nadal became just the eighth man to record up 200 Grand Slam match wins as he saw off Argentina’s world number 99 -- and fellow left-hander -- Facundo Bagnis 6-3, 6-0, 6-3. Nadal, 29, dropped the first two games against Bagnis but then won 18 of the next 22 to ease into a last-32 clash against Spanish compatriot Marcel Granollers.
“The most important thing is a victory in the second round more than the 200 victories,” said Nadal, who now has a 72-2 win-loss record at Roland Garros. Roger Federer, missing from the French Open this year, tops the all-time list of Grand Slam matches won on 302. Djokovic is sixth with 216 after his win yesterday.
Top seed and defending women’s champion Williams cruised into the last 32 with a 6-2, 6-1 win over Teliana Pereira of Brazil. It was a routine victory for the world number one that keeps her on course to win a 22nd Grand Slam title and equal the modern day record of 22 held by Steffi Graf. “Today I played very well and I am happy to have won,” said Williams who fired 31 winners to just six for her outclassed opponent. The 34-year-old American will next go up against either France’s Kristina Mladenovic or Timea Babos of Hungary.
Venus Williams was to follow her sister on Court Suzanne Lenglen against 20-year-old compatriot Louisa Chirico who came through qualifying. Also reaching the third round on Thursday were 2010 semi-finalist Tomas Berdych, the seventh seeded Czech, who defeated Malek Jaziri of Tunisia 6-1, 2-6, 6-2, 6-4.
Latvia’s Ernests Gulbis, who beat Federer on his way to the semi-finals in 2014, made the last-32 with a 6-2, 7-5, 6-3 win over Portugal’s 26th seed Joao Sousa.
But going out was Australian 20th seed Bernard Tomic, beaten 3-6, 6-2, 7-6 (7/4), 7-6 (8/6) by Croatian 19-year-old Borna Coric.
Germany’s Alexander Zverev, the only other teenager left in the draw, made the last 32 of a major for the first time by beating 36-year-old Frenchman Stephane Robert 6-1, 3-6, 6-1, 6-4. Serbian 14th seed Ana Ivanovic, the 2008 winner, defeated Japan’s Kurumi Nara 7-5, 6-1.
Dutchwoman Kiki Bertens followed up her first round win over Australian Open champion Angelique Kerber by beating Camila Giorgi of Italy 6-4, 6-1. Swiss eighth seed Timea Bacsinszky, a semi-finalist last year, defeated Canada’s Eugenie Bouchard 6-4, 6-4.

French Open results
Men’s second round: Novak Djokovic (SRB) bt Steve Darcis (BEL) 7-5, 6-3, 6-4; Aljaz Bedene (GBR) bt Pablo Carreno-Busta (ESP) 7-6 (7/4), 6-3, 4-6, 5-7, 6-2; Borna Coric (CRO) bt Bernard Tomic (AUS x20) 3-6, 6-2, 7-6 (7/4), 7-6 (8/6); Roberto Bautista (ESP x14) bt Paul-Henri Mathieu (FRA) 7-6 (7/5), 6-4, 6-1; Pablo Cuevas (URU x25) bt Quentin Halys (FRA) 7-6 (7/4), 6-3, 7-6 (8/6); Tomas Berdych (CZE x7) bt Malek Jaziri (TUN) 6-1, 2-6, 6-2, 6-4; Rafael Nadal (ESP x4) bt Facundo Bagnis (ARG) 6-3, 6-0, 6-3; Marcel Granollers (ESP) bt Nicolas Mahut (FRA) 6-3, 6-2, 1-0 - retired; Alexander Zverev (GER) bt Stéphane Robert (FRA) 6-1, 3-6, 6-1, 6-4; Dominic Thiem (AUT x13) bt Guillermo García-López (ESP) 7-5, 6-4, 7-6 (7/3); David Goffin (BEL x12) bt Carlos Berlocq (ARG) 7-5, 6-1, 6-4; Nicolas Almagro  (ESP) bt Jirí Veselý (CZE) 6-4, 6-4, 6-3; Ernests Gulbis (LAT) bt João Sousa (POR x26) 6-2, 7-5, 6-3; Jo-Wilfried Tsonga (FRA x6) bt Marcos Baghdatis (CYP) 6-7 (6/8), 3-6, 6-3, 6-2, 6-2
Women’s second round: Serena Williams (USA x1) bt Teliana Pereira (BRA) 6-2, 6-1; Elina Svitolina (UKR x18) bt Taylor Townsend (USA) 6-3, 6-0; Ana Ivanovic (SRB x14) bt Kurumi Nara (JPN) 7-5, 6-1; Carla Suarez Navarro (ESP x12) bt Wang Qiang (CHN) 6-1, 6-3; Dominika Cibulkova (SVK x22) bt Ana Konjuh (CRO) 6-4, 3-6, 6-0; Yulia Putintseva (KAZ) bt Andrea Petkovic (GER x28) 6-2, 6-2; Karin Knapp (ITA) bt Anastasija Sevastova (LAT) 6-3, 6-4; Kiki Bertens (NED) bt Camila Giorgi (ITA) 6-4, 6-1; Darya Kasatkina (RUS x29) bt Virginie Razzano (FRA) 3-6, 6-1, 6-3; Madison Keys (USA x15) bt Mariana Duque (COL) 6-3, 6-2; Venus Williams (USA x9) bt Louisa Chirico (USA) 6-2, 6-1; Pauline Parmentier (FRA) bt Irina Falconi (USA) 6-3, 6-1; Timea Bacsinszky (SUI x8) bt Eugénie Bouchard (CAN) 6-4, 6-4