Nadal to face old friend Gasquet

Ten-time champion Rafael Nadal breezed into the French Open third round and a clash against childhood friend Richard Gasquet on Thursday, as Maria Sharapova closed in on a potential reunion with longtime rival Serena Williams.

Top seed and world No 1 Nadal swept past Argentinian Guido Pella 6-2 6-1 6-1 showing no signs of the brief struggles he faced in the first round against lucky loser Simone Bolelli.

Nadal will next face the home favourite and his old junior rival, Gasquet, whom he has beaten 15 times from as many meetings in professional tennis.

“Richard is a very good friend. We’ve known each other since we were 11 or 12 years old so it will be very special to play again against him on such an important court [Philippe Chatrier] for my career,” said the champion.

Sharapova, the champion in Paris in 2012 and 2014, edged closer to a possible last-16 duel with Williams by seeing off Croatia’s Donna Vekic 7-5 6-4 in a tie which featured 10 breaks of serve and was secured on a fifth match point.

Sharapova, seeded 28 this year, will face Czech sixth seed Karolina Pliskova for a place in the fourth round.

“She’s playing great,” Sharapova told Eurosport Russia of Pliskova, a player she defeated in their only previous meeting in the 2015 Fed Cup final.

“She won a big title in Stuttgart, so I have to be ready for this match and I’ll be ready.”

Top seed Simona Halep reached the third round with a comfortable 6-3 6-1 win over Taylor Townsend of the US.

Halep, twice a runner-up in Paris, will face Germany’s Andrea Petkovic for a place in the last 16.

Spanish third seed Garbine Muguruza, the 2016 champion, was too strong for France’s No 257 Fiona Ferro 6-4 6-3.

Title challengers Marin Cilic and Dominic Thiem struggled into the last 32.

Third seed Cilic reached the third round with a 6-2 6-2 6-7 (3/7) 7-5 win over Polish qualifier Hubert Hurkacz.

Thiem, the only man to beat Nadal on clay this year, saw off Greek teenager Stefanos Tsitsipas 6-2 2-6 6-4 6-4.