Novak Djokovic Beats Joao Sousa in 3 Sets at 2017 French Open

Novak Djokovic made light work of Joao Sousa and progressed to the third round of the 2017 French Open after besting the Portugal native 6-1, 6-4, 6-3 on Wednesday.

Djokovic sent a statement to all other contenders at Roland Garros after dancing his way past the world No. 59 in three sets, although a strong start was evened out by a weaker finish, per tennis writer Gaspar Lanca:

The Serb's reward for his latest victory is a third-round meeting opposite Diego Schwartzman, who defeated Stefano Napolitano 6-3, 7-5, 6-2 in straight sets on Wednesday to advance.

Djokovic beat Marcel Granollers in three sets to reach a second-round meeting against Sousa, and he looked motivated to once again make light work of his opponent after storming out of the blocks on Wednesday.

Anyone arriving late to Suzanne-Lenglen Court risked missing out on the first set altogether, as Djokovic took no prisoners en route to what could have easily ended as a donut win for the Serb. At 5-0 down, Sousa finally showed some defiance and hit back to ensure he didn't get blanked, although Jose Morgado of Portuguese daily Record highlighted it was still routine for Djokovic:

Thankfully for the neutrals, Sousa brought more fight to the table in the second, but after moving 1-0 ahead on his serve, the 28-year-old proceeded to drop his next two serves and allow Nole back in with a 3-2 lead. Djokovic led the unforced error count—a trend new coach Andre Agassi will hope to curtail—but not to the point where it inhibited his ability to advance.

A long, overarching backhand attempt from Sousa gave Djokovic the second set, with the latter performing at his best whenever he kept his foe planted to the baseline, via Eurosport:

Sousa's improvements continued into the third set and were evident as he successfully defended his first three serves—the first time he managed to do so—until Djokovic broke the streak the fourth time. This came after Djokovic had to defend a break point of his own the game prior, which depicted the difference between the two players in clutch occasions.

To Sousa's credit, he didn't play a bad game. There were occasions where his play frustrated the eventual victor, as USA Today's Joe Fleming showed:

For all his bluster, Sousa missed his last chance to tilt the match back in his favour with two break points at 4-3 down, with Djokovic clawing his way back before winning an 11-point exchange to lead 5-3.

For the third set in succession, Sousa dropped serve at the death to ensure he averaged two breaks conceded per set, and while it wasn't a poor showing on his behalf, Djokovic's impressive third-round streak continued:

Djokovic will be wary of the threat posed by his upcoming third-round opponent, Schwartzmann, who breezed past Italy's Napolitano in swift fashion to show he's no force to be messed with.

The defending champion has made it to at least the semi-finals in each of his last six runs at the French Open, but after a difficult start to 2017, Djokovic is finding his groove in Paris, which is bad news for everyone else in attendance.