Paris, France (Sports Network) - Reigning world No. 1 Novak Djokovic and
former champion and four-time runner-up Roger Federer were among Friday's
third-round winners at the French Open.
The current Australian Open, U.S. Open and Wimbledon champion Djokovic
extended his Grand Slam winning streak to 24 matches with a comprehensive 6-1,
6-2, 6-2 beat down of helpless Frenchman Nicolas Devilder. The match was over
in 1 hour, 44 minutes and finished just before darkness set on Court Lenglen.
Djokovic needs a French Open title to complete a career Grand Slam. He lost to
Federer in the semifinals here a year ago, which also brought to an end a 45-
match overall winning streak by the Serb.
Next up for the high-flying Djokovic will be steady Italian Andreas Seppi.
The third-seeded former world No. 1 superstar Federer was pushed to four sets
for a second straight match, but got past game Frenchman Nicolas Mahut 6-3,
4-6, 6-2, 7-5 in Friday's nightcap on Court Chatrier.
The 16-time major titlist captured the French Open in 2009 to complete a
career Grand Slam and has been the runner-up to Rafael Nadal here on four
occasions, including last year.
Up next for the amazing Swiss, seeking his first Grand Slam title in more than
two years, will be upstart Belgian David Goffin.
Also on Friday, former Australian Open runner-up Jo-Wilfried Tsonga, former
Wimbledon finalist Tomas Berdych and former U.S. Open champion Juan Martin del
Potro moved on at the year's second Grand Slam event.
The fifth-seeded heavy French crowd favorite Tsonga handled Italian Fabio
Fognini 7-5, 6-4, 6-4, while the seventh-seeded Czech slugger Berdych fought
off 31st-seeded South African Kevin Anderson in five sets, 6-4, 3-6, 6-7
(4-7), 6-4, 6-4, on the famed red clay at Stade Roland Garros. Berdych moved
on in 3 hours, 52 minutes with the help of four service breaks, compared to
two for Anderson, who bowed out despite popping 22 aces.
Berdych reached the French Open semifinals in 2010, the same year he finished
as the Wimbledon runner-up.
The ninth-seeded del Potro, meanwhile, cruised past 21st-seeded Croat Marin
Cilic 6-3, 7-6 (9-7), 6-1 to set-up a showdown with Berdych on Sunday.
Swiss strongman Stan Wawrinka ousted 11th-seeded Frenchman Gilles Simon in a
five-set struggle, 7-5, 6-7 (5-7), 6-7 (3-7), 6-3, 6-2. The 18th seed
prevailed in 4 hours, 37 minutes to set-up a fourth-round date with another
Frenchman -- Tsonga.
An in-form Seppi, seeded 22nd at this French fortnight, upended 14th-seeded
Spanish lefthander Fernando Verdasco in five sets, 7-5, 3-6, 6-3, 4-6, 6-2, to
reach the round of 16. Seppi titled on clay in Belgrade last month.
Another third-round result saw the aforementioned Goffin ground Pole Lukasz
Kubot 7-6 (7-4), 7-5, 6-1.
One final second-round result this week saw 20th-seeded Spaniard Marcel
Granollers sneak past Tunisian Malek Jaziri 7-6 (7-1), 3-6, 6-1, 3-6, 7-5 in a
match that was suspended because of darkness on Thursday.
The third round is scheduled to conclude with eight more matches on Saturday,
including ones for a second-seeded Nadal, fourth seed Andy Murray and sixth-
seeded David Ferrer.
The reigning two-time French Open champion Nadal will take on Argentine
Eduardo Schwank, while the three-time major finalist Murray will meet
Colombian Santiago Giraldo and Ferrer will battle capable 27th-seeded Russian
Mikhail Youzhny.
Nadal, who is 47-1 lifetime at Roland Garros, including an Open Era record-
tying six championships, finished as the runner-up to Novak Djokovic in the
last three Grand Slam finals.
Also slated for Day-7 action are eighth-seeded Janko Tipsarevic, No. 12 seed
Nicolas Almagro, 13th-seeded Juan Monaco and nifty No. 17 seed Richard Gasquet
of France. Monaco will play 19th-seeded rising Canadian Milos Raonic, while
Gasquet will battle oft-injured former world No. 1 Tommy Haas.
The Sports Network