Federer, Nadal march ahead

Roger Federer became the oldest man to reach the French Open fourth round in 47 years on Friday by winning his record 400th Grand Slam match while women’s second seed Karolina Pliskova was dumped out.

The 37-year-old Federer, playing at Roland Garros for the first time since 2015, saw off the 63rd-ranked Norwegian Casper Ruud 6-3, 6-1, 7-6 (10/8) on Court Suzanne Lenglen.

It is the 14th time the 20-time Grand Slam champion has reached the second week in Paris, and he will face Argentina’s world number 68 Leonardo Mayer for a quarterfinal spot. Federer is the oldest man to book a last-16 place since Nicola Pietrangeli, a two-time champion, at the age of 38 in 1972.

Reigning champion Rafa Nadal survived a blip to continue his bid for a record-extending 12th French Open title with a four-set win over David Goffin, ten years to the day since his shock 2009 exit to Robin Soderling.

The 17-time Grand Slam winner bounced back after an excellent third set from Belgian 27th seed Goffin to win 6-1, 6-3, 4-6, 6-3 and take his incredible Roland Garros win-loss record to 89-2 -- those two defeats coming against Soderling a decade ago and against Novak Djokovic in 2015.

Pliskova exited in a blaze of unforced errors as she was dismissed 6-3, 6-3 by Croatia’s Petra Martic. Pliskova’s defeat means Naomi Osaka will retain the world number one spot after Roland Garros.

Bopanna wins

India’s Rohan Bopanna and his Romanian partner Marius Copil advanced to the pre-quarterfinals of men’s doubles after scoring a 6-4 6-4 win over Bengamin Bonzi and Antoine Hoang.

Divij Sharan and his Brazilian partner Marcelo Demoliner lost to Henri Kontinen and John Peers 3-6, 4-6.

Third round results: Men’s singles: 3-Roger Federer (SUI) bt Casper Ruud (NOR) 6-3, 6-1, 7-6 (10/8); 7-Kei Nishikori (JPN) bt 31-Laslo Djere (SRB) 6-4, 6-7 (6/8), 6-3, 4-6, 8-6; Benoit Paire (FRA) bt Pablo Carreno Busta (ESP) 6-2, 4-6, 7-6 (7/1), 0-0 (retd). Women’s singles: 19-Garbine Muguruza (ESP) bt 9-Elina Svitolina (UKR) 6-3, 6-3; Marketa Vondrousova (CZE) bt 28-Carla Suarez Navarro (ESP) 6-4, 6-4; 12-Anastasija Sevastova (LAT) bt 20-Elise Mertens (BEL) 6-7 (3/7), 6-4, 11-9; Kaia Kanepi (EST) bt Veronika Kudermetova (RUS) 4-6, 6-3, 6-0; 31-Petra Martic (CRO) bt 2-Karolina Pliskova (CZE) 6-3, 6-3.