Novak Djokovic wasted little time in booking his place in the third round of the French Open with a straight-sets win over Roberto Carballes Baena.
The world number one, who was not entirely convincing in his opening match of the tournament, was tested in the early stages by his Spanish opponent, with the first set locked at 4-4.
But Djokovic broke at the perfect time and went on to win 14 of the final 17 games, easing to a 6-4 6-1 6-2 victory to set up a clash with either home favourite Gael Monfils or Lorenzo Musetti.
That match takes place later on Thursday in the night session, bringing an end to yet another rain-affected day at Roland Garros. Play on the outside courts was delayed once again, with the action scheduled to start earlier on Friday morning in an attempt to make up for lost time.
"Thank you for the support,” Djokovic said. “There's so much rain this year at Roland Garros, it's so great so many came out to support under the roof.
"It was a difficult match against Roberto. He scored a lot of very good and precise shots.
"The last game of the first set I played really well and started to play at the higher level. At the end of the match I was then playing very well. I am very happy with this performance."
Paula and Aryna. Frenemies for a day.#RolandGarros pic.twitter.com/beZe9C0Lxx
— Roland-Garros (@rolandgarros) May 30, 2024
Earlier in the day, Aryna Sabalenka needed only 62 minutes to reach the third round with a dominant 6-2 6-2 win over Moyuka Uchijima.
Sabalenka, winner of the Australian Open earlier this year, has reached at least the semi-finals in her last six Grand Slam appearances, and has just dropped seven games in her opening two victories.
On playing close friend Paula Badosa next, the second seed said: "It's always tough to play your friend. [My] best friend on tour, I would say.
“We know how to manage that, we know how to separate court and life. It’s always great battles, great fights against her and I always enjoy playing against her.”
She will be joined in the third round by Elena Rybakina, who was a 6-3 6-4 winner over Arantxa Rus, while Elina Svitolina saw off Diane Parry in straight sets.
Daniil Medvedev enjoyed a serene second-round match, with the fifth seed leading 6-1 5-0 when Miomir Kecmanovic was forced to retire. There was a comfortable win too for Alexander Zverev, who backed up his victory over Rafael Nadal by beating David Goffin 7-6 6-2 6-2.
