World number one Novak Djokovic and nine-time winner Rafael Nadal racked up Grand Slam milestones at the French Open on Thursday 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 on Thursday.
France’s Jo Wilfried Tsonga overcame Marcos Baghdatis 6-7 (6), 3-6, 6-3, 6-2, 6-2 to advance.
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 got past the 20-year old country-mate Louisa Chirico 6-2, 6-1 to advance.
Also reaching the third round on Thursday were 2010 semifinalist 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 semifinals in 2014, made the last-32 with a 6-2, 7-5, 6-3 win over Portugal’s 26th seed Joao Sousa.
Tomic out
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 semifinalist last year, defeated Canada’s Eugenie Bouchard 6-4, 6-4 to advance.