Nadal calls for Blatter change

Paris - Spanish tennis superstar and avid Real Madrid fan Rafael Nadal waded into the great football corruption scandal on Thursday, suggesting the game would be better served without FIFA chief Sepp Blatter's iron grip on power.

Nadal, who is the nephew of former Spanish international Miguel Angel Nadal, believes that for Blatter to have been FIFA president since 1998 breeds an unhealthy environment in the sport.

"My thought is it is good to have combinations, in politics, in sport, in the world in general," said Nadal.

"It's good to have the right people in every place. It's good to have people who know about what they are doing, in football, in tennis, in countries.

"I cannot say that if you are in the same place for a long time you will not be honest, but it's true that history says that is easier to be honest if you are in shorter periods of time.

"You are there and you come back later. The alternating is good in every place of the world, I think."

Blatter faces a re-election vote at the FIFA Congress in Zurich on Friday.

Results from the fifth day of the French Open at Roland Garros on Thursday (x denotes seeded player):

Men

Second round

Novak Djokovic (SRB x1) bt Gilles Muller (LUX) 6-1, 6-4, 6-4
Thanasi Kokkinakis (AUS) bt Bernard Tomic (AUS x27) 3-6, 3-6, 6-3, 6-4, 8-6
Andrey Kuznetsov (RUS) bt Jurgen Melzer (AUT) 6-1, 5-7, 7-6 (7/0), 7-5
Rafael Nadal (ESP x6) bt Nicolas Almagro (ESP) 6-4, 6-3, 6-1
Andy Murray (GBR) bt Joo Sousa (POR) 6-2, 4-6, 6-4, 6-1
Nick Kyrgios (AUS x29) bt Kyle Edmund (GBR) - walkover
David Goffin (BEL x17) bt Santiago Giraldo (COL) 6-3, 4-6, 7-5, 6-2
Marin Cilic (CRO x9) bt Andrea Arnaboldi (ITA) 7-6 (7/3), 6-1, 6-1
Leonardo Mayer (ARG x23) bt Jerzy Janowicz (POL) 6-4, 6-4, 6-7 (1/7), 6-1
Pablo Andujar (ESP) bt Philipp Kohlschreiber (GER x22) 6-1, 7-6 (7/5), 3-6, 3-6, 6-4

Women

Second round

Serena Williams (USA x1) bt Anna-Lena Friedsam (GER) 5-7, 6-3, 6-3
Victoria Azarenka (BLR x27) bt Lucie Hradeck (CZE) 6-2, 6-3
Tsvetana Pironkova (BUL) bt Denisa Allertov (CZE) 6-3, 7-6 (7/2)
Sloane Stephens (USA) bt Heather Watson (GBR) 6-2, 6-4
Andrea Petkovic (GER x10) bt Lourdes Domnguez Lino (ESP) 4-6, 6-4, 6-4
Sara Errani (ITA x17) bt Carina Witthoeft (GER) 6-3, 4-6, 6-2
Irina Falconi (USA) bt Sesil Karatantcheva (BUL) 3-6, 6-1, 6-2
Julia Goerges (GER) bt Caroline Wozniacki (DEN x5) 6-4, 7-6 (7/4)
Petra Kvitova (CZE x4) bt Silvia Soler Espinosa (ESP) 6-7 (4/7), 6-4, 6-2
Irina Begu (ROM x30) bt Ana Konjuh (CRO) 6-2, 6-0
Francesca Schiavone (ITA) bt Svetlana Kuznetsova (RUS x18) 6-7 (11/13), 7-5, 10-8
Andreea Mitu (ROM) bt Karolna Plskov (CZE x12) 2-6, 7-6 (7/5), 6-4