Nadal proves too hot for Pella, enters Round 3; Cilic advances
PARIS: Reigning champion Rafael Nadal bludgeoned his way into the French Open third round with a 6-2, 6-1, 6-1 defeat of outclassed Argentine Guido Pella on Thursday.
With rain showers forecast at Roland Garros the 31-year-old wasted no time on Court Suzanne Lenglen after saving four break points in the first game against the 78th-ranked Pella.
Once that early danger had been snuffed out Nadal offered up a masterclass against his fellow left-hander and his forehand was too hot for Pella to handle.
The Spanish world number one has now won his last 27 sets at Roland Garros, having captured a 10th title last year without dropping a set.
Next in the firing line for Nadal is Frenchman Richard Gasquet.
Marin Cilic beat Polish qualifier Hubert Hurkacz 6-2, 6-2, 6-7(3), 7-5 to book a third round spot. The Croatian third seed breezed through the first two sets virtually unchallenged by the world number 188, who stepped up his game in the third and fourth, forcing errors from Cilic. But ultimately the latter prevailed.
Cilic, who got his best result at Roland Garros last year by reaching the quarter-finals, faces German Jan Lennard Struff or American Tennys Sandgren in the next round.
Juan Martin Del Potro, seeded 15th, beat Julien Benneteau 6-4, 6-3, 6-2.
SHARAPOVA WINS
Two-time champion Maria Sharapova edged closer to a possible French Open last-16 duel with old rival Serena Williams as top seed Simona Halep and 2016 winner Garbine Muguruza breezed into the third round.
Sharapova, the 2012 and 2014 champion in Paris, needed five match points to see off Croatia’s Donna Vekic 7-5, 6-4 in a tie which featured 10 breaks of serve. Former world number one Sharapova, seeded 28 this year, will face Czech sixth seed Karolina Pliskova for a place in the fourth round.
Muguruza cruised past French wild card player Fiona Ferro 6-4, 6-3 , booking her place in the French Open third round.
She sealed the match with a whipped cross-court forehand.
Simona Halep blazed past American Taylor Townsend 6-3, 6-1 in the French Open second round.