Belgian pair stay on course

Tennis: Kim Clijsters staggered into the fourth round of the French Open with a below-par 6-3 6-4 win over Spain's Anabel Medina…

Tennis: Kim Clijsters staggered into the fourth round of the French Open with a below-par 6-3 6-4 win over Spain's Anabel Medina Garrigues.

With the sun dipping in and out over centre court, second seed Clijsters produced a scrappy display in a match which featured 10 breaks of serve.

The Belgian eventually ended Medina Garrigues's challenge after 79 minutes with a thumping forehand winner.

Clijsters will next meet Slovakian Daniela Hantuchova for a place in the quarter-finals.

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Clijsters compatriot and defending champion Justine Henin-Hardenne avenged one of her most disappointing defeats by dispatching Italian Tathiana Garbin 6-4 6-0.

Henin-Hardenne was also defending her crown in 2004 when she lost in a second round upset to Garbin in straight sets but the fifth seed was in an unforgiving mood in fresh, bright conditions this time.

After taking a tight first set by breaking decisively for 5-4, Henin-Hardenne outclassed the 28-year-old Italian with her variation and superior use of the court in the second set. The Belgian sealed victory with a neat forehand volley.

She will face 2004 champion Anastasia Myskina of Russia in the fourth round. The 10th seed, who has talked about retiring if her form does not improve this year, skipped past Serbian Ana Ivanovic 6-2 6-3.

Men's defending champion Rafael Nadal will try to celebrate his 20th birthday with a 56th consecutive claycourt victory when he faces French hopeful Paul-Henri Mathieu for a place in the last 16.

Australian Lleyton Hewitt, the 14th seed, plays Slovakia's Dominik Hrbaty for the right to face the winner of Nadal's match.

Like Nadal, James Blake will have to quell French fervour on centre court. The last American in the men's singles plays 19-year-old Gael Monfils.

Women's 12th seed Martina Hingis faces Ivana Lisjak of Croatia.