Murray, Wawrinka target last 32 in Paris

Japan's fifth seed Kei Nishikori, former runner-up Simona Halep and two-time Wimbledon champion Petra Kvitova were all early second round winners at the French Open Wednesday. Nishikori, a quarter-finalist in 2015, coasted into the last 32 with a 6-3, 6-3, 6-3 victory over Russia's Andrey Kuznetsov. Nishikori, the 2014 US Open runner-up, goes on to face former world number seven Fernando Verdasco of Spain. Verdasco, 32, is playing his 13th Roland Garros and will present Nishikori with a formidable challenge holding a 2-1 lead in their head to head record. He won their only meeting on clay in Barcelona in 2012 although that came through an injury retirement. Sixth seed Halep, the losing finalist to Maria Sharapova in 2014, endured a rollercoaster tie on Court Philippe Chatrier against Zarina Diyas of Kazakhstan before securing a 7-6 (7/5), 6-2 win. Halep, 24, was 1-4 down in the first set to the world number 90 before rallying and grabbing the tie-break. The opening set featured six breaks of serve before the Romanian coasted through the second. Halep will next face Japan's Naomi Osaka, the world 101 who has reached the third round at a major for the second successive time having also enjoyed a run to the last 32 in Australia. Osaka, 18, knocked out 34-year-old Mirjana Lucic-Baroni 6-3, 6-3 which would have been relief to Halep who lost to the world number 52 Croatian at the French Open last year and US Open in 2014. "It was very tough in the first set having to come back from 1-4 down," said Halep. "But I found a better rhythm in the second set, tried to open the court and hit drive volleys." Osaka, making her Roland Garros debut, hadn't won on clay all season before this week. "I am adjusting to clay but I'd rather do better here than at smaller tournaments," said Osaka. Kvitova, the 10th seed, saw off Taiwan's Su-Wei Hsieh 6-4, 6-1 in a much more comfortable outing than her opener against Danka Kovinic where she had been just two points away from defeat at one stage. Kvitova, a semi-finalist in 2012, next faces Shelby Rogers of the United States. Russian 13th seed Svetlana Kuznetsova, the 2009 champion, was too strong for Britain's Heather Watson winning 6-1, 6-3. Kuznetsova next faces Fed Cup teammate Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova who saw off Cagla Buyukakcay, the first Turkish woman to win a match at a Grand Slam, 6-3, 4-6, 6-1. - Murray, Wawrinka in action - Later Wednesday, second seed Andy Murray and defending champion Stan Wawrinka target places in the third round after both men needed marathon five-setters to get through their openers. Murray needed two days to see off 37-year-old Czech Radek Stepanek, the oldest man in the tournament, after coming back from two sets to love down. The 29-year-old, a three-time semi-finalist, will hope for a simpler afternoon against 22-year-old Mathias Bourgue, a French wildcard ranked at 164 in the world. Bourgue is playing at a Grand Slam for the first time and is already guaranteed $67,000 in prize money -- twice as much as he has already earned this year on the lower tours. Wawrinka also needed five sets to see off Lukas Rosol in his first round. The third seed tackles Taro Daniel of Japan. The 23-year-old New York-born Daniel, ranked at 93, won his first match at a Grand Slam in the opening round when Slovakian opponent Martin Klizan retired injured in the final set. Daniel, who is based in Valencia, had been two sets to love down before Klizan wilted. Also in action Wednesday is Canadian eighth seed Milos Raonic who takes on France's Adrian Mannarino. Raonic made the quarter-finals in 2015 while 27-year-old Mannarino has reached the round of 64 for only the second time. Women's second seed Agnieszka Radwanska, a quarter-finalist in 2013, has a tricky assignment against Frenchwoman Caroline Garcia who won the Strasbourg title at the weekend on clay. Radwanska leads their head-to-head 2-1 including a win on clay in Madrid in 2013 but all of the pair's three meetings have gone to three sets. Fourth seed Garbine Muguruza, who almost came to grief in the first round when she needed three sets to see off Anna Karolina Schmiedlova, plays French wildcard Myrtille Georges. Georges is ranked at 203 in the world and has made just over $12,000 in 2016.