PARIS — Former champion Novak Djokovic reached the French Open third round for the 13th consecutive year by beating Spanish qualifier Jaume Munar 7-6 (7/1), 6-4, 6-4 on Wednesday, while second seed Alexander Zverev staged a fightback to win a five-setter with Dusan Lajovic.

Djokovic, the 2016 Roland Garros champion and former world number one, is seeded 20 this year after struggling to rediscover his best form after returning from a right elbow injury.

He wasn’t at his best on Court Suzanne Lenglen, but goes on to face Spain’s 13th seed Roberto Bautista Agut for a place in the last 16.

The Serbian 12-time Grand Slam champion fired 39 winners but 33 unforced errors and was broken three times by Munar, the world 155.

"I am very happy to be here on Suzanne Lenglen and see so many people and see the support," said Djokovic.

"Jaume is a great player, he has lots of quality and good concentration. I congratulate him on a great match today."

German world number three Zverev found himself in deep trouble when trailing by two sets to one against Lajovic, but the Serbian ran out of gas as it finished 2-6, 7-5, 4-6, 6-1, 6-2.

The 21-year-old, a winner of three Masters titles, is yet to reach a Grand Slam quarter-final and was knocked out in the first round at Roland Garros last year.

But Zverev moved into round three for the second time, where he will play Bosnian 26th seed Damir Dzumhur, as he looks to become the first German man to win the title since 1937.

Fourth seed Grigor Dimitrov went the distance, too, eventually coming through a marathon with American Jared Donaldson 6-7 (2/7), 6-4, 4-6, 6-4, 10-8.

The Bulgarian was pushed all the way by world number 57 Donaldson in a match that lasted four hours and 19 minutes, but grabbed the crucial break in the 17th game of the deciding set as his opponent started to struggle with cramp.

Japan’s Kei Nishikori also staged a comeback to edge out Frenchman Benoit Paire on Philippe Chatrier court, winning 6-3, 2-6, 4-6, 6-2, 6-3 in his first Grand Slam event since Wimbledon last year after recovering from a wrist injury.

Seventh seed Dominic Thiem, a semi-finalist in each of the last two years, grabbed the third set against Greek teenager Stefanos Tsitsipas to lead 6-2, 2-6, 6-4 when darkness fell, with the pair to finish the match yesterday. AFP