Roger, Maria storm into Rd 3
Roger Federer advanced to the third round of the French Open on Wednesday as Maria Sharapova brushed aside fellow Russian Vitalia Diatchenko to also reach the last 32.
Swiss second seed Federer beat Marcel Granollers of Spain 6-2, 7-6 (7/1), 6-3 in front of a packed crowd on Court Suzanne Lenglen that included Angus Young, the guitarist of veteran Australian rock band AC/DC.
Federer got the job done in one hour, 47 minutes, although he was broken twice and his opponent made life tough in the second set in particular.
Sharapova, who was also champion at Roland Garros in 2012 and runner-up in 2013, defeated Diatchenko 6-3, 6-1 in the first match on Court Philippe Chatrier to set up a clash with former finalist Samantha Stosur in the third round.
Stosur of Australia, the runner-up in 2010 who is seeded 26th this year, breezed past French wildcard Amandine Hesse 6-0, 6-1 on Court Suzanne Lenglen.
Croatian veteran Mirjana Lucic-Baroni reached third round for the first time since 2001 when she defeated Romanian third seed Simona Halep 7-5, 6-1.
In other action, Federer's compatriot Stan Wawrinka, seeded eight, ousted Serbia's Dusan Lajovic 6-3, 6-4, 5-7, 6-3 and faces Steve Johnson of the United States next.
Kei Nishikori, the fifth seed who was the only one of five Japanese players in the initial men's draw to have made it through to the second round, eased past Thomaz Bellucci of Brazil 7-5, 6-4, 6-4.
Next up for Nishikori is Germany's Benjamin Becker, who eliminated Spain's 32nd seed Fernando Verdasco, emerging from a marathon fifth set to progress 6-4, 0-6, 1-6, 7-5, 10-8.
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