PARIS, May 27: Defending champion Ana Ivanovic swept into the French Open last 32 here on Wednesday with a comprehensive 6-1, 6-2 victory over Thai veteran Tamarine Tanasugarn.
The 21-year-old Serbian has experienced a disappointing 12 months since lifting her first major title at Roland Garros last summer, but she looked in tip-top condition as she engineered her passage into the third round.
Beneath grey skies on Court Philippe Chatrier, Ivanovic quickly hit her stride against her 32-year-old opponent, who is ranked 52nd in the world in the women´s game.
A break of serve in the fourth game gave Ivanovic the momentum and she survived three break points before breaking again and sewing up the first set with an emphatic service hold to love.
The Serbian sported a black, arrow-shaped bandage on her right knee, having recently been forced out of the Madrid Open with a knee injury, but there were no signs of any ill-effects as she bossed her experienced adversary around the court.
Tamarine cancelled out an early Ivanovic break in the second set, but Ivanovic broke straight back to end her opponent´s hopes of a comeback, with the Thai´s 12th singles appearance at Roland Garros ultimately coming to an end when she flopped a backhand wide from the back of the court.
Ivanovic will meet Czech number 32 seed Iveta Benesova for a place in the last 16.
Meanwhile, top seed Dinara Safina enjoyed another breeze defeating teenage compatriot Vitalia Diatchenko 6-1, 6-1 to set up a last-32 clash with another Russian, Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova.
Safina, who didn´t lose a game in her first round mauling of Britain´s Anne Keothavong, took just 55 minutes to dispose of 18-year-old qualifier Diatchenko, the world number 151.
The world number one next faces 17-year-old Pavlyuchenkova, the 27th seed, who reached the last 32 with a 6-2, 7-6 (7/2) win over France´s Julie Coin.
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"I played a good match today. She is very young and maybe was a little threatened," said Safina.
"It should be a great match against Pavlyuchenkova. She´s having a great season. I´ve never played against her or practised with her so I´m looking forward to meeting her."
Wednesday´s win was Safina´s 16th in her 17 matches since she became world number one in April.
Also progressing to the third round were Belarusian ninth seed Victoria Azarenka and Chinese 25th seed Li Na.
Defending champion Ana Ivanovic was later facing Thai veteran Tamarine Tanasugarn and third-seeded Venus Williams was due to meet Lucie Safarova of the Czech Republic, while former world number one Maria Sharapova was up against 11th-seeded countrywoman Nadia Petrova.
Later Wednesday, four-time champion Rafael Nadal tackles Russia´s Teimuraz Gabashvili looking for a place in the last 32 as well as another mark in the record books.
If the world number one prevails he will beat Chris Evert´s record of 30 successive wins at Roland Garros.
Evert set her sequence between 1974 and 1981, although she didn´t play from 1976-1978.
France´s Fabrice Santoro, playing his 20th and last Roland Garros, was beaten 6-3, 6-1, 3-6, 6-4 by Belgium´s Christophe Rochus in a first-round match held over from Tuesday because of bad light.
Britain´s Andy Murray, the third seed, was playing Itay´s Potito Starace.
