PARIS (AP) — Third-seeded Novak Djokovic of Serbia reached the third round of the French Open for the fifth straight year by defeating Kei Nishikori of Japan 6-1, 6-4, 6-4 Friday.
Djokovic is a two-time semifinalist in Paris but lost in the third round last year.
The 23-year-old Serbian struggled on long rallies and had 24 unforced errors — including nine double faults — but raised his level on important points to advance after breaking Nishikori six times.
The 246th-seeded Nishikori is trying to rediscover his form after a right elbow injury sidelined him for about one year.
