Priority No 1 now for Andy Murray at the French Open: Putting his feet up. After 10 sets of tennis in his first two rounds, he sorely needs the rest.
The Scot, seeded second, came through 6-2, 2-6, 4-6, 6-2, 6-3 on Wednesday against Mathias Bourgue, a 22-year-old player ranked 164th with a wild card to play his first Grand Slam tournament. The second-round win came just a day after Murray completed another five-setter in the first round.
Wawrinka had 17 opportunities to break the Japanese right-hander, and seized only four of them.
Fifth-seeded Kei Nishikori is already in gear. The 2014 US Open finalist broke Andrey Kuznetsov of Russia six times and saved seven break points in a 6-3, 6-3, 6-3 win.
Nishikori has spent less than four hours in two straight-set wins on the tiring red-clay courts to advance to the third round; Wawrinka has accumulated more than five hours.
Another Japanese player also is impressing. Still 18 and playing in only her second major tournament, Naomi Osaka also has yet to drop a set. After beating 32nd-seeded Jelena Ostapenko in the first round, she advanced to the third round by beating Mirjana lucic-Baroni 6-3, 6-3.
Halep, who struggled with her serve, is bracing for a tough test from Osaka.
With third-ranked Angelique Kerber and fifth-ranked Victoria Azarenka both falling in the first round, Garbine Muguruza has a path through the women’s draw.
Ranked fourth, the 2015 Wimbledon finalist won 6-2, 6-0 against Myrtille Georges, a French wild-card entry. Her next opponent, 54th-ranked Yanina Wickmayer, failed to advance beyond the third round in two previous attempts.
Petra Kvitova and 2009 French Open winner Svetlana Kuznetsova also advanced in straight sets.
One of a Grand Slam-record 51 players age 30 and over who started in the men’s main draw, Ivo Karlovic became — at 37 — the oldest man to reach the third round at a major since Jimmy Connors at the 1991 US Open.
The 27th-seeded Croatian served 41 aces in a 6-7 (2), 6-3, 7-6 (3), 6-7 (4), 12-10 win over Jordan Thompson.
Williams sister’s win
Serena Williams needed treatment on her right foot while playing doubles Wednesday with sister Venus at the French Open, but the defending singles champion at Roland Garros didn’t seem to be in pain.
The Williams sisters were on their way to a 6-2, 6-2 first-round win against Jelena Ostapenko and Yulia Putintseva.
Milos Raonic faced little resistance as he posted a 50th Grand Slam match win on Wednesday at the French Open. The eighth-seeded Canadian advanced to the third round for the third time on the Parisian red clay with a clinical 6-1, 7-6 (0), 6-1 win over 58th-ranked Frenchman Adrian Mannarino.
Agnieszka Radwanska made the most of Caroline Garcia’s struggles with her serve to reach the third round at the French Open. The Polish player had 13 break chances on Court Suzanne lenglen and converted six in 6-2, 6-4 win.