Wimbledon champion Maria Sharapova and eternal French hope Amelie Mauresmo shrugged off blistering temperatures to ease into the French Open third round.

Second seed Sharapova took just 67 minutes to see off French wildcard Aravane Rezai 6-3, 6-2, and now faces fellow Russian Anna Chakvetadze.

Mauresmo, the third seed, edged 15-year-old compatriot Alize Cornet 6-0, 6-2, taking just a minute longer.

Mauresmo, so often let down by her fragile temperament in front of her home crowd, now takes on Serbia and Montenegro's Ana Ivanovic for a place in the fourth round.

Sharapova, a quarter-finalist last year, had fallen 3-1 down in the first set against Rezai before reeling off the next six games to take control of the tie.

Justine Henin-Hardenne and Guillermo Coria, who endured miserable appearances at the 2004 French Open, also moved into the third round.

Henin-Hardenne, who as defending champion crashed out in the second round in 2004, made the third round of the women's singles with a confident 6-1, 6-4 win over 31-year-old Spaniard Virginia Ruano Pascual.

Coria, who arrived here twelve months ago as hot favourite for the men's title before throwing away a two-set lead in his final loss to Argentinian compatriot Gaston Gaudio, also made it through.

The eighth-seed progressed when his Serbia and Montenegro opponent Novak Djokovic was forced to retire injured while the Argentinian was leading 4-6, 6-2, 3-2.

Djokovic, a qualifier, had to concede the match with breathing difficulties.

The high temperature took their toll elsewhere in the men's event with American veteran Vince Spadea having to concede his match against German 21st seed Tommy Haas with a stomach strain while trailing two sets to love.

But there were no such problems for Argentinian ninth seed Guillermo Canas or Russian 12th seed Nikolay Davydenko who moved into the last 16.

Russia's 29th seed Mikhail Youzhny was knocked out, losing to Melzer 6-3, 6-4, 7-6 (7/5).

Also progressing into the next round in the women's draw were Nadia Petrova, the Russian seventh seed, Russia's US Open champion Svetlana Kuznetsova, seeded six, and French 17th seed Tatiana Golovin.

Russia's Marat Safin, the men's third seed, was due to face Czech qualifier Lukas Dlouhy with second seeded American Andy Roddick facing Argentina's Jose Acasuso.

Source: CRI News