Top seeds at a canter
Andy Murray in injury scare
Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic stayed on course for a second Grand Slam final showdown with both notching up straight sets wins in yesterday’s third round action.
But if the top two seeds enjoyed a worry-free afternoon, the same could not be said for fourth seed Andy Murray.
The 24-year-old Scot had been coasting along at 6-2, 2-1 on German Michael Berrer’s serve when he badly jarred his right ankle trying to run down a drop shot.
Murray hopped about in agony and then collapsed onto his back in the red dirt of the Suzanne Lenglen showcourt.
After taking painkillers, Murray somehow dug in to win the set 6-3 and another two breaks in his favour gave him the perfect 4-0 start to the third set.
Murray duly wrapped up a third consecutive straight sets win, but there will be serious doubts about his fitness ahead of his fourth tie against Viktor Troicki tomorrow.
Second seed Djokovic made it 40 straight wins this year by finishing off Juan Martin del Potro 6-3, 3-6, 6-3, 6-2 in a third round tie held over from late Friday.
On resumption, Djokovic once again showed all the composure and killer instinct that have been a feature of his stunning unbeaten run since January and he comfortably dealt with some typically beefy hitting from the 2009 US Open champion.
The Serb will next play back-to-form Richard Gasquet for a place in the quarter-finals in a tie that is sure to fire up the partisan Paris crowd.
Djokovic will match John McEnroe’s 42-match winning streak set from the start of 1984 should he reach the semi-finals.
Top seed Nadal made it to the fourth round with a 6-1, 6-3, 6-0 win over Croatian qualifier Antonio Veic in a centre-court mismatch.
It was the Spaniard’s 41st win at Roland Garros against just the one defeat since he made his debut in 2005, but such was the paucity of the opposition that the win will answer few questions about his actual form.
Also through from the bottom half of the draw yesterday was Argentinian claycourt veteran Juan Ignacio Chela who saw off Lukas Rosol of the Czech Republic in four sets.
And Gilles Simon became the third Frenchman through to the last 16 with a comprehensive 6-3, 6-4, 6-2 over the last remaining American, Mardy Fish.