Wed May 28 11:08:03 2008

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Nadal, Djokovic advance at French Open

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Paris, France (Sports Network) - Three-time defending champion Rafael Nadal and Australian Open titlist Novak Djokovic were easy winners Wednesday at the 2008 French Open, where nice weather has been the order of the day following two days of rain in Paris.

The world No. 2 Nadal improved to 22-0 lifetime at Roland Garros by erasing Brazilian qualifier Thomaz Bellucci 7-5, 6-3, 6-1 in opening-round play on his beloved red clay. The match was tied at 1-1 in the first set on Tuesday when play was called for the day because of rain.

The Spanish Nadal, who is now 109-2 in his last 111 clay-court matches since 2005, beat world No. 1 star Roger Federer in the last two French Open finales.

The third-seeded Djokovic, who is the only man to perform in the last two major finals, cruised past Spaniard Miguel Angel Lopez Jaen 6-1, 6-1, 6-3 in second-round play. The high-flying Djokovic is 15-1 in his last 16 Grand Slam matches, including a title in Melbourne earlier this year and a runner-up finish to Federer at last year's U.S. Open.

Fifth-seeded David Ferrer, of Spain, blew past Belgian Steve Darcis 6-3, 6-4, 6-3 amid breezy conditions on Day 4. Ferrer was last year's Tennis Masters Cup runner-up to Federer.

Former French Open champion Juan Carlos Ferrero exited the draw on Day 4, as the 23rd-seeded former world No. 1 was leading Brazilian Marcos Daniel 6-7 (5-7), 2-2 when the Spaniard retired from the match. Ferrero titled here in 2003 and was the runner-up in 2002.

Two other former top-ranked stars advanced to the round of 64, as 25th-seeded Aussie Lleyton Hewitt humbled France's Nicolas Mahut 6-4, 6-2, 6-4 and big Russian Marat Safin, unseeded here, overcame Frenchman Jean-Rene Lisnard 6-7 (5-7), 6-1, 6-3, 6-2. Both Hewitt and Safin are two-time major titlists, but have never appeared in a French Open final.

Fifteenth-seeded Russian Mikhail Youzhny moved on with a 6-1, 6-3, 7-6 (7-4) decision against German Benjamin Becker at the world's only clay-court Grand Slam.

In other opening-round play involving seeds, No. 21 Czech Radek Stepanek stopped Frenchman Gilles Simon 6-2, 6-4, 6-1, No. 26 Finn Jarkko Nieminen came back to best Spaniard Marc Lopez 2-6, 6-3, 6-4, 6-3 and No. 30 Russian Dmitry Tursunov handled German Daniel Brands 6-2, 6-4, 7-5.

The '08 French Open champion will collect more than $1.5 million.