Djokovic enters third round after easy win

Paris: 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 on 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 picking up a right elbow injury that sidelined him for about one year.