Rafael Nadal eases into 3rd round at Roland Garros

Nine-time champion Rafael Nadal was an easy second-round winner Thursday at the French Open.

The former world No. 1, seeded sixth at this particular fortnight, blew away fellow Spaniard Nicolas Almagro 6-4, 6-3, 6-1 on Court Chatrier.

The 14-time Grand Slam champion Nadal has now won his last 37 matches at Roland Garros, where he's won the title the last five years. He captured four straight French Open titles from 2005-08.

Nadal's trying to become the first man to capture 10 titles at one major tournament.

Ninth-seeded U.S. Open champion Marin Cilic joined Nadal in the third round by handling Italian Andrea Arnaboldi 7-6 (7-3), 6-1, 6-1. Cilic's third-round opponent will be in-form Argentine Leonardo Mayer.

In other second-round action involving seeds, Spaniard Pablo Andujar upended No. 22 German Philipp Kohlschreiber 6-1, 7-6 (7-5), 3-6, 3-6, 6-4 and a No. 23 Mayer topped Poland's Jerzy Janowicz 6-4, 6-4, 6-7 (1-7), 6-1. Mayer was a clay-court runner-up in Nice last week.

[SportsNetwork.com]