Djokovic destroys Pella

Paris - Novak Djokovic's French Open credentials were given the lightest of examinations in a 6-2, 6-0, 6-2 second-round win over Argentina'a Guido Pella on Thursday.

The world number one had the stronger weapons and pushed his opponent on to the back foot with his superior courtcraft in a match that lasted just one hour and 26 minutes after being delayed by rain and then halted again when the downpours returned.

After the players traded blows at the start of the match, Djokovic won 11 games in a row, taking the first and second sets.

The crowd rose in unison to applaud the 101st-ranked Pella when he won a game in the second game of the third set but it was a short-lived reprieve as the Serb closed the match out. 

French Open results on Thursday (x denotes seeded player):

Men:

Second round:
Novak Djokovic (SRB x1) bt Guido Pella (ARG) 6-2, 6-0, 6-2
Grigor Dimitrov (BUL x26) bt Lucas Pouille (FRA) 6-1, 7-6 (7/4), 6-1
Victor Hanescu (ROM) bt Dmitry Tursunov (RUS) 6-4, 6-6 - retired
Philipp Kohlschreiber (GER x16) bt Lu Yen-Hsun (TPE) - walkover
Fabio Fognini (ITA x27) bt Lukas Rosol (CZE) 6-2, 7-6 (7/3), 2-6, 6-1
Kei Nishikori (JPN x13) bt Grega Zemlja (SLO) 6-1, 5-7, 6-1, 6-4

Women:

Second round:
Bethanie Mattek-Sands (USA) bt Li Na (CHN x6) 5-7, 6-3, 6-2
Paula Ormaechea (ARG) bt Yaroslava Shvedova (KAZ x27) 6-4, 7-6 (8/6)
Alize Cornet (FRA x31) bt Silvia Soler (ESP) 6-1, 6-3
Victoria Azarenka (BLR x3) bt Annika Beck (GER) 6-4, 6-3
Petra Kvitova (CZE x7) bt Peng Shuai(CHN) 6-4, 6-3
Jamie Hampton (USA) bt Anna Karolna Schmiedlov (SVK) 7-5, 6-2
Jelena Jankovic (SRB x18) bt Garbie Muguruza (ESP) 6-3, 6-0
Samantha Stosur (AUS x9) bt Kristina Mladenovic (FRA) 6-4, 6-3
Marina Erakovic (NZL) bt Dominika Cibulkova (SVK x16) 6-2, 2-6, 6-4
Sloane Stephens (USA x17) bt Vania King (USA) 6-1, 6-3
Zheng Jie (CHN) bt Melanie Oudin (USA) 6-3, 6-1