Novak Djokovic, Rafael Nadal both reach French Open fourth round

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Saturday, May 30, 2015

PARIS --Novak Djokovic seems in a hurry as he chases his ninth Grand Slam title -- and the only one he's never won -- racing into the French Open fourth round with a 6-4, 6-4, 6-4 win against 19-year-old Australian Thanasi Kokkinakis.

Rafael Nadal also is through. But his 6-1, 6-3, 6-2 victory against Andrey Kuznetsov was over too quickly to provide a real gauge of the form, spotty of late, of the nine-time French Open champion.

Nadal was on court for just over two hours. He has yet to drop a set in his 11th French campaign. Nadal next plays Jack Sock, the last U.S. man in the draw who blew past 18-year-old Borna Coric 6-2, 6-1, 6-4 to make the last 16 of a major for the first time.

Nadal hasn't played Sock before but is already wary of the 22-year-old.

"An amazing forehand, good serve, very good serve," the Spaniard said. "I have to play aggressive."

Against top-ranked Djokovic, 84th-ranked Kokkinakis dropped serve three times and could not force a single break point in a match lasting 1 hour, 49 minutes.

Djokovic's fourth-round opponent, Richard Gasquet, will have the support of the crowd. The Frenchman, ranked 21st, milked the fans' energy in beating 17th-ranked Kevin Anderson 4-6, 7-6 (4), 7-5, 6-4.

Five of the last 16 men are French -- only the third time they've done that well since Grand Slam tournaments admitted professionals in 1968.

Two-time Grand Slam champion Andy Murray extended his impressive winning streak on clay, into the fourth round with a 6-4, 6-2, 6-3 beating of Nick Kyrgios, whose big-hitting was hampered by a sore right serving arm.

Murray also plays a Frenchman next, Jeremy Chardy, ranked 45th. Chardy beat David Goffin, ranked 18th, 6-3, 6-4, 6-2.

Murray's coach, former women's No. 1 Amelie Mauresmo, had "make your own luck" written on her T-shirt. The third-ranked Murray has been doing just that with his improved game on the slippery clay dust.

"This is the best I have played on clay," he said. "The results would obviously suggest that."

U.S. Open champion Marin Cilic also advanced in style with a 6-3, 6-2, 6-4 win against Leonardo Mayer. David Ferrer, runner-up at the French in 2013, labored 6-3, 1-6, 5-7, 6-0, 6-1 in beating Simone Bolelli, ranked 60th. Ferrer and Cilic next play each other.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.