Novak Djokovic was too strong for Australian talent Thanasi Kokkinakis.

Top seed Novak Djokovic and Andy Murray slapped down a pair of Australian upstarts at the French Open but Rafa Nadal showed he is still the man to beat as he powered into the last 16 of the French Open yesterday.

Teenager Thanasi Kokkinakis and Nick Kyrgios are touted as the next big things and pack plenty of box-office appeal but the gulf between brash raw talent and seasoned grand slam champions was evident in the Paris sunshine.

Djokovic, bidding for his maiden French Open title, hurtled towards a potential quarter-final clash against defending champion Nadal with an immaculate 6-4 6-4 6-4 defeat of 19-year-old wildcard Kokkinakis.

Kyrgios, a year older than his compatriot, has already made deep inroads at grand slams, notably when stunning Nadal at Wimbledon last year, and his match-up with Britain’s Murray had the potential to be firecracker.

There were plenty of sparks and some outrageous winners from the 20-year-old Kyrgios, but for every thunderous forehand there was a crass error as the 29th seed, hampered by a sore elbow that took the edge off his serve, flattered to deceive.

While Kyrgios played the showman, Murray gave him a lesson in match craft, 6-4 6-2 6-3, to set up a meeting with Jeremy Chardy, one of five Frenchmen into the last 16 which equals the hosts’ best showing in the professional era.

“You have to expect the unexpected against him,” Murray, who has now won 13 consecutive claycourt matches, said.

“I feel like I have done a good job of kind of weathering the storms, he always has some periods in the matches where he’s on fire and hits some unbelievable shots.”

Sixth seed Nadal spoke of the old “positive feelings” returning as he outclassed unseeded Russian Andrey Kuznetsov 6-1 6-3 6-2, emulating Djokovic as he reached the second week without dropping a set.

Should he beat Jack Sock, the last surviving American in the next round, and Djokovic overcomes home hope Richard Gasquet, then a repeat of the final in two of the last three years will be played out in the quarter-finals.

“There is no doubt that it was not my worst first week here at Roland Garros, because sometimes I have had quite difficult first weeks,” Nadal said after taking his French Open record to 69-1.

Ninth seed Marin Cilic continued his low-key progress, the big-serving Croat crushing Argen-tina’s Leonardo Mayer 6-3 6-2 6-4 to set up a last-16 clash against David Ferrer.

In the women’s draw, fourth seed Petra Kvitova sailed through to the last 16 with an easy win over Romania’s Irina-Camelia Begu but former champion Francesca Schiavone could not back up her marathon victory over Svetlana Kuznetsova in the third round, the 34-year-old Italian falling to Romanian Andreea Mitu.

Former runner-up Sara Errani made it through with a 6-3 6-3 defeat of German 10th seed Andrea Petkovic.

Other result: S. Williams bt V. Azarenka 3-6 6-4 6-2.