Preview: World number one Novak Djokovic will go ‘shark’ hunting at the French Open on Thursday as he looks to seal a place in the last 32. Djokovic, seeking to take a step closer to a first Roland Garros title and complete the career Grand Slam, faces Belgian qualifier Steve Darcis whose nickname is ‘The Shark’. Darcis, 32, had to qualify for the tournament but he does have Grand Slam pedigree having dumped Rafael Nadal out of Wimbledon in 2013. [caption id=“attachment_2801010” align=“alignleft” width=“380”] Serena Williams celebrates during the second round match at French Open. Getty Images[/caption] The Belgian veteran is also keen to cause a shock and dedicate victory to former coach Julien Hoferlin who died of cancer in April at the age of 49. “I think about him every day, when I train, before playing a match,” said Darcis. “It’s not easy not easy not having him on my side. It’s not easy not being able to send him a message the day before an important match. “It’s tough. But whether it’s for my family, my relatives, for him, I have to do my very best. That’s what I’m doing.” Djokovic, a three-time runner-up in the last four years, eased through his first round with a straight sets win over Taiwan’s Lu Yen-Hsun. He holds a 2-0 career advantage over Darcis and when told he was to face Darcis again, he smilingly said: “I like sharks!” Nine-time champion Rafael Nadal, the fourth seed, was equally untroubled in his first round against big-serving Sam Groth, dropping just three games. He tackles Argentina’s Facundo Bagnis, the 26-year-old world number 99 who also reached the second round on debut last year. Defending women’s champion Serena Williams continues her campaign to win a 22nd Grand Slam title and equal the record set by Steffi Graf. The 34-year-old top seed faces world number 81 Teliana Pereira of Brazil who has never got beyond the second round of a Grand Slam. Venus Williams follows her sister on Court Suzanne Lenglen against American compatriot Louisa Chirico. The 20-year-old Chirico, ranked at 78 in the world, came through qualifying and won her first match at the Grand Slam level by beating fellow American Lauren Davis in the opening round. Elsewhere, the 2008 champion Ana Ivanovic faces Japan’s Kurumi Nara while former Wimbledon runner-up Eugenie Bouchard of Canada tackles eighth seed Timea Bacsinszky of Switzerland. Bacsinszky reached the semi-finals in Paris last year having once taken a break from the sport to work in a hotel. (with inputs from AFP)
French Open 2016, Day 5 as it happned: Serena Williams breezes into third round, Tsonga stages comeback
Preview: World number one Novak Djokovic will go ‘shark’ hunting at the French Open on Thursday as he looks to seal a place in the last 32. Djokovic, seeking to take a step closer to a first Roland Garros title and complete the career Grand Slam, faces Belgian qualifier Steve Darcis whose nickname is ‘The Shark’. Darcis, 32, had to qualify for the tournament but he does have Grand Slam pedigree having dumped Rafael Nadal out of Wimbledon in 2013.
 "French Open 2016, Day 5 as it happned: Serena Williams breezes into third round, Tsonga stages comeback")
Day 5 of #RG16 has been an "emotional and demonstrative" one so far pic.twitter.com/jgC5bTzqBo
— The Tennis Island (@thetennisisland) May 26, 2016
No. 1 Serena Williams rolls past Teliana Pereira 6-2, 6-1 into the third round.
Serena has spent just two hours on court in her two rounds so far. Clinical.
Men’s Second Round:
Novak Djokovic (SRB #1) bt Steve Darcis (BEL) 7-5, 6-3, 6-4
Aljaz Bedene (GBR) bt Pablo Carreno-Busta (ESP) 7-6 (7/4), 6-3, 4-6, 5-7, 6-2
Borna Coric (CRO) bt Bernard Tomic (AUS #20) 3-6, 6-2, 7-6 (7/4), 7-6 (8/6)
Roberto Bautista (ESP #14) bt Paul-Henri Mathieu (FRA) 7-6 (7/5), 6-4, 6-1
Pablo Cuevas (URU #25) bt Quentin Halys (FRA) 7-6 (7/4), 6-3, 7-6 (8/6)
Tomas Berdych (CZE #7) bt Malek Jaziri (TUN) 6-1, 2-6, 6-2, 6-4
Rafael Nadal (ESP #4) bt Facundo Bagnis (ARG) 6-3, 6-0, 6-3
Dominic Thiem (AUT #13) bt Guillermo García-López (ESP) 7-5, 6-4, 7-6 (7/3)
Ernests Gulbis (LAT) bt João Sousa (POR x26) 6-2, 7-5, 6-3
Women’s Second Round:
Ana Ivanovic (SRB #14) bt Kurumi Nara (JPN) 7-5, 6-1
Carla Suarez Navarro (ESP #12) bt Wang Qiang (CHN) 6-1, 6-3
Dominika Cibulkova (SVK #22) bt Ana Konjuh (CRO) 6-4, 3-6, 6-0
Yulia Putintseva (KAZ) bt Andrea Petkovic (GER #28) 6-2, 6-2
Karin Knapp (ITA) bt Anastasija Sevastova (LAT) 6-3, 6-4
Kiki Bertens (NED) bt Camila Giorgi (ITA) 6-4, 6-1
Pauline Parmentier (FRA) bt Irina Falconi (USA) 6-3, 6-1
Timea Bacsinszky (SUI #8) bt Eugénie Bouchard (CAN) 6-4, 6-4
Top seed Novak Djokovic eased into the third round of the French Open, defeating Belgian veteran Steve Darcis 7-5, 6-3, 6-4.
It was the Serb’s 50th win at Roland Garros and he will next go up against Slovenia-born Briton Aljaz Bedene who edged Pablo Carreno Busta of Spain in a five-set thriller 7/6 (7/4), 6-3, 4-6, 5-7, 6-2.
Rafael Nadal became just the eighth man to win 200 Grand Slam matches when he defeated Argentina’s Facundo Bagnis to reach the last 32.
Nadal, 29, dropped the first two games against the world number 99 but then won 18 of the next 22 to ease through 6-3, 6-0, 6-3.
He next plays either Spanish compatriot Marcel Granollers or Nicolas Mahut of France.
Winner @rafaelnadal signs the camera. #InsideRG https://t.co/2dBbIrlg9S
— Roland-Garros (@rolandgarros) May 26, 2016
Scores update from around the grounds at Roland Garros:
Men Second Round:
Pablo Cuevas (URU #25) bt Quentin Halys (FRA) 7-6 (7/4), 6-3, 7-6 (8/6)
Tomas Berdych (CZE #7) bt Malek Jaziri (TUN) 6-1, 2-6, 6-2, 6-4
Ernests Gulbis (LAT) bt João Sousa (POR x26) 6-2, 7-5, 6-3
Women Second Round:
Ana Ivanovic (SRB 314) bt Kurumi Nara (JPN) 7-5, 6-1
Carla Suarez Navarro (ESP #12) bt Wang Qiang (CHN) 6-1, 6-3
Yulia Putintseva (KAZ) bt Andrea Petkovic (GER #28) 6-2, 6-2
Karin Knapp (ITA) bt Anastasija Sevastova (LAT) 6-3, 6-4
Timea Bacsinszky (SUI #8) bt Eugénie Bouchard (CAN) 6-4, 6-4
Timea Bacsinszky had trouble closing the second set out but she finally wins 6-4, 6-4 over Genie Bouchard.
After losing a 5-0 lead, No8 seed Bacsinszky finally able to close out Bouchard 6-4 6-4 to claim her spot in the 3R. pic.twitter.com/6VJicGpyoG
— Roland-Garros (@rolandgarros) May 26, 2016
Carla Suarez Navarro is the first player to win on Day 5!
The 12th seed defeated Qiang Wang, 6-1, 6-3.
Some big milestones on the line for Nadal and Djokovic today:
Rafael Nadal will win his 200th Grand Slam match on if he beats Facundo Bagnis of Argentina in the second round.
Nadal would become the eighth man in history to win 200 matches at major tournaments. The man with the most wins is Roger Federer, who has 302 over his career but is missing from this year’s French Open because of injury.
Novak Djokovic can win his 50th match at Roland Garros by defeating qualifier Steve Darcis of Belgium.
Former champion Ana Ivanovic takes the first set on her 4th set point!
Things are heating up on Crt 1. After losing a commanding lead, Ivanovic rallies to close out opening set 7-5 v Nara pic.twitter.com/RY6dSesqnm
— Roland-Garros (@rolandgarros) May 26, 2016
Accurate, don’t you think?
Roland Garros 2016 in one picture pic.twitter.com/t3Uoi13Dub
— Oleg S. (@AnnaK_4ever) May 26, 2016
Another look at those “zebra” outfits! What do you think of them – love it? Hate it? Don’t care about it?
27 min is all Berdych needs to serve out 1st set 6-1 v Jaziri. Does No7 seed have a straight sets win in his future? pic.twitter.com/jSkUzzWPA0
— Roland-Garros (@rolandgarros) May 26, 2016
First up, we focus on Court Phillipe-Chatrier and the battle of two former semi-finalists – Genie Bouchard vs Timea Bacsinszky. An intriguing tie given thier current form.
Also, we will be checking in on Tomas Berdych on Court Suzzane-Lenglen, who is playing against Malek Jaziri. Ana Ivanovic, the 14th seed, is up against Kurumi Nara on Court 1.
Lots of action already under way!
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