Rafael Nadal rocks on birthday

Rafael Nadal reacts as he returns to Richard Gasquet during their French Open match. Pic/AFP

Rafael Nadal celebrated his 35th birthday in style with a straight sets win over Richard Gasquet on Thursday to reach the French Open third round. Nadal, the 13-time champion in Paris and chasing a record-setting 21st Grand Slam title, won 6-0, 7-5, 6-2 to register his 17th career victory in 17 meetings with France's 53rd-ranked Gasquet.

"Well, of course it's better to win 16 in a row than lose 16 in a row, no?," said Nadal. "When you go to the match and you have been winning all the last 16 times, of course the confidence is a little bit higher than when you have a tougher head-to-head. But I respect Richard and I know how good he is." Next up for the World No. 3 is Britain's Cameron Norrie who he has beaten twice already this season.

Nishikori in Last 16

Japan's Kei Nishikori reached the French Open Last 16 for the seventh time on Friday when Swiss opponent Henri Laaksonen retired with a leg injury in their third round clash. Nishikori had taken the first set 7-5 when the Swiss qualifier quit. Nishikori, 31, had needed more than eight hours and two five-setters to get to the third round.

On Friday, however, he was on court for just under an hour as he goes on to meet German sixth seed Alexander Zverev for a place in the quarter-
finals.

Zverev cruises

Zverev eased into the Last 16 for the fourth successive year with a straight-sets win over Serbia's Laslo Djere. The 24-year-old, last year's US Open runner-up, saw off the 55th-ranked Djere 6-2, 7-5, 6-2 on Court Philippe Chatrier.

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