ATP: Nadal, Djokovic reach round of 16 in Paris

Paris, France (Sports Network) - Two-time defending champion Rafael Nadal and rising Serbian Novak Djokovic highlighted Saturday's third-round winners at the French Open.

The second-seeded Nadal blitzed fellow Spaniard Albert Montanes 6-1, 6-3, 6-2 for his 17th straight victory at Roland Garros. Nadal topped Roger Federer in last year's French finale.

A sloppy Montanes piled up 73 unforced errors and 13 double faults on Saturday. Nadal held his serve throughout the match, while the overmatched Montanes was broken six-of-12 times.

Nadal has won 84 of his last 85 matches on red clay. He's trying to become the first man to win three straight French Opens since the great Bjorn Borg won four in a row from 1978-81.

The sixth-seeded Djokovic battled heavy French crowd favorite Olivier Patience, and himself, on Day 7. The talented Serb was already trailing two- sets-to-one when he was pushed into a fourth-set tiebreak.

Djokovic fought his way past Patience in the tiebreak before ultimately prevailing in the fifth set for a 7-6 (7-2), 2-6, 3-6, 7-6 (7-4), 6-3 decision on a sunny day in Paris. The Serb star, broken fives times in the entertaining match, needed just over four hours to advance.

The 20-year-old Djokovic captured a Masters Series event in Miami earlier this season.