Tennis: Rafael Nadal, Kim Clijsters and Martina Hingis made up for lost time with quickfire victories at the French Open.
The trio's second-round matches were postponed by yesterday's rain but they claimed easy victories under sunny skies in the French capital this afternoon.
Defending champion Nadal, who had not played since his first round match on Monday, took his record of consecutive claycourt wins to 55 with a 6-2 6-1 6-4 over American lucky loser Kevin Kim. Clijsters and Hingis, the respective second and 12th seeds who are also potential quarter-final opponents, lost only seven games between them.
Clijsters, twice a runner-up at Roland Garros, beat Conchita Martinez Granados of Spain 6-0 6-3 and Hingis, who is back at the French Open for the first time since 2001, crushed Czech Zuzana Ondraskova 6-1 6-3 in bright sunshine.
Both the Belgian and the Swiss are seeking to win the claycourt slam for the first time.
Hingis was especially impressive in the first set. "I almost felt sorry (for her)," said the former world number one who is back playing on tour after a three-year hiatus.
"I played really well, served well, moved well. It's all coming together again. I just hope it's going to continue like that. I just want to save the best for last."
Clijsters won her first set even more easily but was a break down at 3-2 in the second before rallying. "I was going for my shots a little bit too early in the rallies," said the 22-year-old U.S. Open champion. "I wasn't patient enough."
Argentine 10th seed Gaston Gaudio, the 2004 champion, won his battle with 2003 champion Juan Carlos Ferrero of Spain on centre court, sneaking three tight sets 7-5 7-5 7-6 to reach round four.
Eighth seed James Blake showed he can mix it with the best claycourters when he beat highly-rated Spaniard Nicolas Almagro with surprising ease to reach the third round at Roland Garros for the first time.
Blake had lost the first set yesterday before bad light stopped play, but dominated today to complete a 6-7 6-2 6-4 6-4 second round win.
Later today top seed Roger Federer faces an accomplished claycourter in Olympic champion Nicolas Massu of Chile in the third round.
French women's top seed Amelie Mauresmo takes on Serbian Jelena Jankovic and Russian fourth seed Maria Sharapova plays Australia's Alicia Molik in another third round encounter.