It was the Serb’s third win in three career meetings with Darcis, a player nicknamed “Shark” who dumped Nadal out of Wimbledon in 2013.
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The three-time French Open champion only dropped three games en route to the near-perfect victory.
“I’ve been able to play some really good matches against the best players in the world”, Nadal said.
“He has a lot of talent and it was tough”.
“It was a bit hard but I’m happy I won in three sets”, said Djokovic.
Djokovic also becomes the third player in the Open era to reach 50 wins at all four grand slams, joining Serena Williams and Roger Federer.
The Spaniard – chasing his own version of “La Decima” – saw off Argentina’s Facundo Bagnis on Philippe Chatrier 6-3 6-0 6-3.
Nadal, 29, dropped the first two games against Bagnis but then won 18 of the next 22 to ease into a last-32 clash against either Spanish compatriot Marcel Granollers or Nicolas Mahut of France. The same fact has kept the World No 1 away from tennis a lot as she has only managed to win one trophy this year and that was at the Rome Masters coming into the French Open.
Five Frenchmen were in action on Thursday hoping to join a trio already into the third round with sixth seed Jo-Wilfried Tsonga and mercurial Cypriot Marcos Baghdatis set to provide the late afternoon thrills.
PARIS (AP) – Rafael Nadal set another milestone at the French Open on Thursday, posting the 200th Grand Slam match win of his career.
An early break put the top seed ahead in the second set, which he won comfortably.
However, the Williams had another injury scare at Roland Garros as she played doubles alongside her sister, Venus Williams.
The 20-year-old Chirico, ranked at 78 in the world, came through qualifying and won her first match at the Grand Slam level by beating fellow American Lauren Davis in the opening round.
Serena Williams has booked a place in the third round at French Open.
Djokovic will next go up against Slovenia-born Briton Aljaz Bedene, who edged Pablo Carreno Busta of Spain in a five-set thriller 7/6 (4), 6-3, 4-6, 5-7, 6-2. No. 20 Bernard Tomic lost to 19-year-old Borna Coric 3-6, 6-2, 7-6 (4), 7-6 (6).
Serbian 14th seed Ana Ivanovic, the 2008 victor, defeated Japan’s Kurumi Nara 7-5, 6-1.
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Eighth-seeded Timea Bacsinszky and No. 12 Carla Suarez Navarro also advanced, while No. 28 Andrea Petkovic lost to Yulia Putintseva 6-2, 6-2.
