PARIS, May 31: Fourth seed Andy Murray, grimacing in pain, battled his way into the third round of the French Open on Thursday by defeating Finn Jarkko Nieminen 1-6, 6-4, 6-1, 6-2 despite back problems.

Defending champion Rafa Nadal's progress was rather more swift. The Spaniard, aiming for a record seventh French Open title, thrashed Uzbekistan's Denis Istomin 6-2, 6-2, 6-0.

Nadal and Murray were joined in the third round by French fifth seed Jo-Wilfried Tsonga, who returned to complete a match suspended overnight because of rain and finished off German Cedrik-Marcel Stebe 6-2, 4-6, 6-2, 6-1.

Murray was a semi-finalist last year – his best result at the claycourt Grand Slam – but looked to be heading for an early exit in the first set of his match on Philippe Chatrier court.

He summoned the trainer three times and lay, with his teeth clenched, as his back was massaged, then got up again to move stiffly around the court. At changeovers, he stayed on his feet rather than sitting down.

Though Nieminen saved one matchpoint with a winning service return, Murray hit a service winner on the second and will now play Colombian Santiago Giraldo, who knocked out 25th seed Bernard Tomic of Australia 6-4, 6-1, 6-3.

Tsonga had gone off court on Wednesday evening level at one set all and 1-1 in the third with Stebe when rain fell on Roland Garros for the first time this week.

The Frenchman started Thursday with a break and needed less than an hour to see off Stebe and set up an appointment with Italian Fabio Fognini.

Sixth-seeded Spaniard David Ferrer had a straightforward, 6-3, 6-3, 6-2 win over French player Benoit Paire and will now play 27th seed Mikhail Youzhny of Russia.

Women's fourth seed Petra Kvitova was in fine form on the Suzanne Lenglen court, swiftly beating Pole Urszula Radwanska 6-1, 6-3.

Defending champion Li Na enjoyed her second straight-sets win when she sped past Frenchwoman Stephanie Foretz Gacon 6-0, 6-2 while former world No 1 Caroline Wozniacki was nearly as quick in beating Australia's Jarmila Gajdosova 6-1, 6-4.

Local favourite Arnaud Clement, the oldest man in the draw at 34, bade goodbye to Roland Garros after 15 appearances here with an emotional ceremony on court after his 3-6, 7-6, 0-6, 6-2, 6-1 defeat by Belgian lucky loser David Goffin.

A subdued Venus Williams left the French Open in the second round on Wednesday when she was soundly beaten by third-seeded Pole Agnieszka Radwanska 6-2, 6-3.

Former world No 1 Williams, who has won seven Grand Slam events but is rebuilding her game and her life after being diagnosed with an autoimmune disease, got into her stride only at the end of a one-sided match.

Results (prefix number denotes seeding):

Men’s singles:

Second round: 2-Rafa Nadal (Spain) bt Denis Istomin (Uzbekistan) 6-2, 6-2, 6-0; 27-Mikhail Youzhny (Russia) bt Robin Haase (Netherlands) 6-3, 7-6 (7-5), 6-4; 4-Andy Murray (Britain) bt Jarkko Nieminen (Finland) 1-6, 6-4, 6-1, 6-2; 5-Jo-Wilfried Tsonga (France) bt Cedrik-Marcel Stebe (Germany) 6-2, 4-6, 6-2, 6-1; David Goffin (Belgium) bt Arnaud Clement (France) 3-6, 7-6 (7-2), 0-6, 6-2, 6-1; 13-Juan Monaco (Argentina) bt Lukas Rosol (Czech Republic) 7-6 (7-4), 6-0, 7-6 (7-5); 19-Milos Raonic (Canada) bt Jesse Levine (US) 6-4, 7-5, 6-2; 6-David Ferrer (Spain) bt Benoit Paire (France) 6-3, 6-3, 6-2; Santiago Giraldo (Colombia) bt 25-Bernard Tomic (Australia) 6-4, 6-1, 6-3.

Women’s singles:

Second round: 7-Li Na (China) bt Stephanie Foretz Gacon (France) 6-0, 6-2; 14-Francesca Schiavone (Italy) bt Tsvetana Pironkova (Bulgaria) 2-6, 6-3, 6-1; Nina Bratchikova (Russia) bt Claire Feuerstein (France) 3-6, 6-3, 7-5; 9-Caroline Wozniacki (Denmark) bt Jarmila Gajdosova (Australia) 6-1, 6-4; 10-Angelique Kerber (Germany) bt Olga Govortsova (Belarus) 6-3, 6-2; Klara Zakopalova (Czech Republic) bt 16-Maria Kirilenko (Russia) 6-4, 3-6, 6-3; 22-Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova (Russia) bt Melinda Czink (Hungary) 4-6, 6-3, 6-3; 4-Petra Kvitova (Czech Republic) bt Urszula Radwanska (Poland) 6-1, 6-3.Wednesday’s remaining results:

Men’s singles:

Second round: Nicolas Mahut (France) bt Martin Klizan (Slovakia) 4-6, 6-4, 7-6 (5) 6-3; Lukasz Kubot (Poland) bt Florent Serra (France) 7-6 (7-0), 6-2, 7-6 (7-4); 18-Stanislas Wawrinka (Switzerland) bt Pablo Andujar (Spain) 7-6 (7-3), 6-7 (4-7), 6-2, 6-1; 14-Fernando Verdasco (Spain) bt Gilles Muller (Luxembourg) 6-7 (5-7), 6-3, 6-2, 6-2.

Women’s singles:

Second round: 3-Agnieszka Radwanska (Poland) bt Venus Williams (US) 6-2 6-3; 18-Flavia Pennetta (Italy) bt Alexa Glatch (US) 6-3 6-1.—Reuters