PARIS: French Open title rivals Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic stormed into the last 32 on Wednesday, while women’s defending champion Garbine Muguruza survived a second-round scare.

Nadal outclassed Dutchman Robin Haase 6-1, 6-4, 6-3 in one hour and 49 minutes on Court Philippe Chatrier to continue his quest for an incredible 10th Roland Garros triumph.

The Spaniard will face Nikoloz Basilashvili for a place in round four after the Georgian matched his best ever run at a Grand Slam.

Defending champion Djokovic battered Portugal’s Joao Sousa 6-1, 6-4, 6-3 to make it four wins in as many meetings with the world number 59.

The second seed plays Argentina’s Diego Schwartzman for a place in the last 16.

Sixth seed Dominic Thiem charged into round three with a routine win over Simone Bolelli, sweeping the Italian aside 7-5, 6-1, 6-3.

The Austrian, who is the only player to defeat Nadal on clay this season, will meet American 25th seed Steve Johnson next as he looks to build on last year’s run to the semi-finals.

Grigor Dimitrov and David Goffin sailed through, but French hopes suffered a huge blow as 12th seed Jo-Wilfried Tsonga crashed out to Renzo Olivo in his opening match.

Serving to stay in the contest when darkness halted their tie on Tuesday, Tsonga was broken immediately when play resumed as the Argentine world number 91 wrapped up a 7-5, 6-4, 6-7 (6-8), 6-4 win.

Reigning champion Muguruza survived another tough examination from 53rd-ranked Anett Kontaveit, who beat the Spaniard in Stuttgart last month.

Muguruza has endured a difficult 2017 and again found herself in trouble after falling a set and a break behind against the Estonian.

But the fourth seed recovered to claw out a 6-7 (4-7), 6-4, 6-2 win and book a third-round clash with Yulia Putintseva of Kazakhstan.

“I knew it was going to be a battle out there,” said Muguruza, who beat Serena Williams in last year’s final. “I knew that losing to her not long ago I did something different this time. I think something different in a good way.”

American qualifier Bethanie Mattek-Sands halted Petra Kvitova’s comeback, defeating the popular Czech 7-6 (7-5), 7-6 (7-5) in her first tournament since a horrifying knife attack in December.

“I’m disappointed, for sure. I came here to win the matches,” said twice former Wimbledon champion Kvitova. “I’m still happy I’m here and playing. The fairytale ended. Now, in upcoming weeks, I think it will be business as usual.”

Venus Williams shook off a slow start to ease into the third round with a 6-3, 6-1 victory over Japan’s Kurumi Nara.

Williams, the 2002 runner-up who turns 37 next month, will play Belgium’s Elise Mertens in the third round.

Caroline Wozniacki dished out a chastening 6-0, 6-0 thrashing to Canadian qualifier Francoise Abanda in just 52 minutes.

The 20-year-old blamed the exertions of coming through three qualifying rounds in order to reach the main draw.

Wednesday’s results (prefix number denotes seeding):

Men’s singles:

Second round: 4-Rafa Nadal (Spain) bt Robin Haase (Netherlands) 6-1, 6-4, 6-3; Nikoloz Basilashvili (Georgia) bt Viktor Troicki (Serbia) 7-6 (7-3), 7-6 (7-2), 7-6 (8-6); Guillermo Garcia-Lopez (Spain) bt Marco Trungelliti (Argentina) 7-5, 6-4, 7-5; 2-Novak Djokovic (Serbia) bt Joao Sousa (Portugal) 6-1, 6-4, 6-3; 11-Grigor Dimitrov (Bulgaria) bt Tommy Robredo (Spain) 6-3, 6-4, 7-5; Horacio Zeballos (Argentina) bt 23-Ivo Karlovic (Croatia) 7-6 (7-5), 7-6 (7-5), 6-3; 25-Steve Johnson (US) bt Borna Coric (Croatia) 6-2, 7-6 (10-8), 3-6, 7-6 (8-6); Diego Schwartzman (Argentina) bt Stefano Napolitano (Italy) 6-3, 7-5, 6-2; 10-David Goffin (Belgium) bt Sergiy Stakhovsky (Ukraine) 6-2, 6-4, 3-6, 6-3; 6-Dominic Thiem (Austria) bt Simone Bolelli (Italy) 7-5, 6-1, 6-3.

First round: Renzo Olivo (Argentina) bt 12-Jo-Wilfried Tsonga (France) 7-5, 6-4, 6-7 (6-8), 6-4.

Women’s singles:

Second round: 13-Kristina Mladenovic (France) bt Sara Errani (Italy) 6-2, 6-3; 30-Timea Bacsinszky (Switzerland) bt Madison Brengle (US) 6-0, 6-2; Elise Mertens (Belgium) b Richel Hogenkamp (Netherlands) 6-3, 6-4; 11-Caroline Wozniacki (Denmark) bt Francoise Abanda (Canada) 6-0, 6-0; Catherine Bellis (US) bt 18-Kiki Bertens (Netherlands) 6-3, 7-6 (7-5); 4-Garbine Muguruza Blanco (Spain) bt Anett Kontaveit (Estonia) 6-7 (4-7), 6-4, 6-2; Shelby Rogers (US) bt Cagla Buyukakcay (Turkey) 7-6 (8-6), 6-4; 27-Yulia Putintseva (Kazakhstan) bt Johanna Larsson (Sweden) 6-3, 1-6, 6-3; Bethanie Mattek-Sands (US) bt 15-Petra Kvitova (Czech Republic) 7-6 (7-5), 7-6 (7-5); 23-Samantha Stosur (Australia) bt Kirsten Flipkens (Belgium) 6-2, 7-6 (8-6); 10-Venus Williams (US) bt Kurumi Nara (Japan) 6-3, 6-1; Lesia Tsurenko (Ukraine) bt Ekaterina Makarova (Russia) 6-2, 6-2; Jelena Ostapenko (Latvia) bt Monica Puig (Puerto Rico) 6-3, 6-2.

Tuesday’s remaining results:

Men’s singles:

First round: Thiago Monteiro (Brazil) bt Alexandre Muller (France) 7-6 (7-4), 2-6, 4-6, 7-6 (7-3), 6-0; 13-Tomas Berdych (Czech Republic) bt Jan-Lennard Struff (Germany) 6-1, 6-1, 4-6, 6-4; 21-John Isner (US) bt Jordan Thompson (Australia) 6-3, 4-6, 7-6 (7-5), 6-3; Kyle Edmund (Britain) bt Gastao Elias (Portugal) 6-3, 6-2, 7-5.

Women’s singles:

First round: 9-Agnieszka Radwanska (Poland) bt Fiona Ferro (France) 6-1, 6-1; Chloe Paquet (France) bt Kristyna Pliskova (Czech Republic) 6-7 (4-7), 6-2, 6-2; 3-Simona Halep (Romania) bt Jana Cepelova (Slovakia) 6-2, 6-3; 17-Anastasija Sevastova (Latvia) bt Annika Beck (Germany) 6-2, 6-4; 26-Daria Kasatkina (Russia) bt Yanina Wickmayer (Belgium) 7-5, 6-4; Eugenie Bouchard (Canada) bt Risa Ozaki (Japan) 2-6, 6-3, 6-2.

Published in Dawn, June 1st, 2017