BBC Sporttennis

Nadal was playing his second game in two days

Defending champion Rafael Nadal and world number three Novak Djokovic eased into the last 16 of the French Open.

Nadal, bidding to emulate Bjorn Borg as the only man to win four successive Roland Garros titles, overcame Finland's Jarkko Nieminen 6-1 6-3 6-1.

Djokovic beat American wildcard Wayne Odesnik 7-5, 6-4, 6-2 to set up a fourth round clash with Paul-Henri Mathieu, who beat Eduardo Schwank.

Nadal plays Fernando Verdasco, who beat Mikhail Youzhny 7-6 (7-5) 5-7 7-5 6-1.

The second seed and three-time winner was broken by Nieminen in the second set but recovered to maintain his unbeaten record at Roland Garros.

Nadal, who has won all 24 matches he has played on the Paris clay, went 0-40 down on serve in the third game but staved off four break points to gain the psychological edge on Nieminen, who was seeking to reach round four for only the second time.

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He held on until 3-3 but with Nadal pulling him wide with his top-spin forehand, he succumbed and dropped the set.

Blisters on Nadal's right foot provided Nieminen with some unlikely hope but the second seed, who was on court for the fourth successive day, recovered and broke in the fourth game when a resigned Nieminen netted a backhand.

Nadal, a winner in Monte Carlo and Hamburg this year, then took three games in a row to prevail in one hour and 58 minutes.

"Today I was tired. I have played three matches with three sets but for two days I was in the locker room," said Nadal.

"I am happy to survive. I will have a day off on Saturday and that will be very important."

Djokovic, meanwhile, overcame a tumble in the first set before coasting past Odesnik.

The Serbian, seeded three, slipped behind the baseline at 5-5 in the opening set and rolled over in the red clay on Court Suzanne Lenglen.

Fortunately for Djokovic, no injury was sustained and his 10th ace and wrapped up the win in one hour and 36 minutes.

French wildcard Jeremy Chardy produced a second superb display in as many matches to sink 30th seed Dimitri Tursunov 7-6 (7-1) 6-3 6-4.

Chardy, who as world number 145 is the lowest-ranked player left in the draw, defeated sixth seed David Nalbandian in the second round and will now play Nicolas Almagro, who beat Andy Murray, for a quarter-finals berth.

Latvian teenager Ernests Gulbis showed impressive maturity to move serenely into the fourth round with a convincing straight-sets victory over Nicolas Lapentti.

The 19-year-old, the youngest player left in the men's singles, swept to a 6-3 7-5 6-2 victory over the Ecuadorian to set up a fouth round match against Michael Llodra after the Frenchman beat Simone Bolelli in straight sets.

In the remaining second-round matches to be completed, Julien Benneteau won 6-0 in the fifth set to edge past Colombia's Alejandro Falla, while Florent Serra needed four tight sets to eliminate Romania's Victor Hanescu.