Paris - Andy Murray has reached the third round at the French Open on Thursday with a 6-2, 4-6, 6-4, 6-1 win over Joao Sousa of Portugal.
The third seed and two-time Grand Slam winner was in total control in the first set, but let his concentration wander in the second as Sousa chose to attack.
But, after saving a break point early in the third set, he regained his composure and his powerful groundstrokes were too much for Sousa to handle after that.
It was Murray's 12th straight win on clay this season after back-to-back tournament triumphs in Munich and Madrid.
In the third round he will take on rising Australian Nick Kyrgios who went through on a walkover when the other Briton in the main draw, Kyle Edmund, pulled out with a stomach-muscle strain.
Results from the fifth day of the French Open at Roland Garros on Thursday (x denotes seeded player):
Men
Second round
Novak Djokovic (SRB x1) bt Gilles Muller (LUX) 6-1, 6-4, 6-4
Thanasi Kokkinakis (AUS) bt Bernard Tomic (AUS x27) 3-6, 3-6, 6-3, 6-4, 8-6
Andrey Kuznetsov (RUS) bt Jurgen Melzer (AUT) 6-1, 5-7, 7-6 (7/0), 7-5
Rafael Nadal (ESP x6) bt Nicolas Almagro (ESP) 6-4, 6-3, 6-1
Andy Murray (GBR) bt Joo Sousa (POR) 6-2, 4-6, 6-4, 6-1
Nick Kyrgios (AUS x29) bt Kyle Edmund (GBR) - walkover
David Goffin (BEL x17) bt Santiago Giraldo (COL) 6-3, 4-6, 7-5, 6-2
Marin Cilic (CRO x9) bt Andrea Arnaboldi (ITA) 7-6 (7/3), 6-1, 6-1
Leonardo Mayer (ARG x23) bt Jerzy Janowicz (POL) 6-4, 6-4, 6-7 (1/7), 6-1
Pablo Andjar (ESP) bt Philipp Kohlschreiber (GER x22) 6-1, 7-6 (7/5), 3-6, 3-6, 6-4
Women
Second round
Serena Williams (USA x1) bt Anna-Lena Friedsam (GER) 5-7, 6-3, 6-3
Victoria Azarenka (BLR x27) bt Lucie Hradeck (CZE) 6-2, 6-3
Tsvetana Pironkova (BUL) bt Denisa Allertov (CZE) 6-3, 7-6 (7/2)
Sloane Stephens (USA) bt Heather Watson (GBR) 6-2, 6-4
Andrea Petkovic (GER x10) bt Lourdes Domnguez Lino (ESP) 4-6, 6-4, 6-4
Sara Errani (ITA x17) bt Carina Witthoeft (GER) 6-3, 4-6, 6-2
Irina Falconi (USA) bt Sesil Karatantcheva (BUL) 3-6, 6-1, 6-2
Julia Goerges (GER) bt Caroline Wozniacki (DEN x5) 6-4, 7-6 (7/4)
Petra Kvitova (CZE x4) bt Silvia Soler Espinosa (ESP) 6-7 (4/7), 6-4, 6-2
Irina Begu (ROM x30) bt Ana Konjuh (CRO) 6-2, 6-0
Francesca Schiavone (ITA) bt Svetlana Kuznetsova (RUS x18) 6-7 (11/13), 7-5, 10-8
Andreea Mitu (ROM) bt Karolna Plskov (CZE x12) 2-6, 7-6 (7/5), 6-4