Spain's Rafael Nadal returns the ball to France's Nicolas Devilder during their second-round match at the French Open tennis tournament. Nadal won in straight sets Thursday in Paris to move to 23-0 all-time at the event.

Paris ? Rafael Nadal improved to 23-0 at the French Open by defeating Nicolas Devilder of France, 6-4, 6-0, 6-1, Thursday in the second round.

The second-seeded Nadal was leading 5-0 in the second set when rain returned to Roland Garros for the fourth time in five days and interrupted the match. When they came back on court, Nadal broke Devilder to take a two-set lead and then jumped to another 5-0 lead in the third.

“The second and third sets were very good,” Nadal said. “What’s really important is that I’m in the third (round) and improving with each match.”

Top seed Roger Federer, of Switzerland, also advanced with a straight-sets victory over Albert Montanes, of Spain.

Venus Williams and Jelena Jankovic reached the third round in the women’s field, one easing through her match and the other playing through pain.

The eighth-seeded Williams used a six-game run to beat 241st-ranked qualifier Selima Sfar of Tunisia, 6-2, 6-4. Jankovic, seeded third and a semifinalist at Roland Garros last year, was bothered by a right arm injury, but defeated Marina Erakovic of New Zealand, 6-2, 7-6 (5).

Frenchwoman Amelie Mauresmo, a two-time Grand Slam champion seeded 22nd, lost to Carla Suarez Navarro of Spain, 6-3, 6-4. American James Blake lost to 19-year-old Ernests Gulbis of Latvia 7-6 (2), 3-6, 7-5, 6-3.