Novak Djokovic needed just an hour and 23 minutes to swat aside the challenge of Ricardas Berankis at the French Open and reach a new career milestone.
Novak Djokovic landed his 70th win at the French Open with a brutal display at Roland Garros - matching the total achieved by Roger Federer
Novak Djokovic needed just an hour and 23 minutes to swat aside the challenge of Ricardas Berankis at the French Open and reach a new career milestone.
A 6-1 6-2 6-2 victory was as ruthless and rapid as the scoreline suggests, with Djokovic racing through to the third round.
They had played twice before, and Berankis tested Djokovic before losing in two tight sets at August's Masters 1000 tournament in New York.
But Thursday's match produced exactly the same scoreline as in their first clash, seven years ago in the first round of the US Open, and showed the gulf between the world number one and the player ranked 66th on the men's tour.
Victory means Djokovic racked up a 70th win in singles action at Roland Garros, having already reached that mark at the Australian Open, Wimbledon and the US Open.
His French Open wins tally has now equalled that of Roger Federer, who is absent this year as he recovers from knee surgery. Djokovic and Federer sit joint second on the all-time list for the most wins in the men's singles at Roland Garros, behind clear leader Rafael Nadal, who has chalked up 95 victories in 97 matches.
Court Philippe-Chatrier has seen Djokovic come and go quickly in both his matches so far, with the thrashing of Berankis completed in 15 fewer minutes than it took the Serbian to see off Sweden's Mikael Ymer in round one.
Data slam: Djokovic dominates
If Djokovic is looking for omens, then there is one he might choose to ignore. In the 2013 US Open, where he beat Berankis by the same score as in this latest meeting, Djokovic lost in four sets to Nadal in the final. If anyone can beat Nadal this month in Paris, however, Djokovic looks the man best equipped, even more so than Dominic Thiem. He was simply clinical here, winning 95 per cent of points when he landed a first serve and taking six of seven opportunities to break his opponent.
WINNERS/UNFORCED ERRORS
Djokovic - 25/14
Berankis - 14/25
ACES/DOUBLE FAULTS
Djokovic - 10/1
Berankis - 0/1
BREAK POINTS WON
Djokovic - 6/7
Berankis - 0/2