Nadal, Sharapova survive scares; Serena slumps

PARIS: French Open drawcards Rafael Nadal and Maria Sharapova survived French Open scares on Friday but 2002 women's champion Serena Williams was knocked out in her worst performance in Paris since 1999.

Nadal, bidding to emulate Bjorn Borg as the only man to win four successive Roland Garros titles, needed treatment on his blistered right foot before brushing aside Finland's Jarkko Nieminen 6-1, 6-3, 6-1 to make the last 16.

Sharapova, the top women's seed who is seeking a French Open to complete a career Grand Slam, dropped a set for the second match in a row before seeing off colorful American Bethanie Mattek 6-2, 3-6, 6-2 to reach the third round.