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Fireworks in Benoit Paire and Fabio Fognini match while Kei Nishikori progresses

Benoit Paire (R) speaks with Italy's Fabio Fognini before their men's second round of Roland Garros
Image: Benoit Paire (R) speaks with Italy's Fabio Fognini before their match at Roland Garros

Temperamental Frenchman Benoit Paire's second round clash with Italian hot-head Fabio Fognini always promised fireworks but it was in the Court Seven stands that tempers boiled over.

With a football-style atmosphere producing roars that could be heard across the complex, Paire beat the 28th seed 6-1 6-3 7-5 to reach the third round for the second time.

But the local favourite became distracted as some fans got too excited and a fight broke out.

"Yeah. I almost stepped in, but, no, no, it's true that in the crowd there were two people that started fighting," 71st-ranked Paire told reporters.

"It was a bit of a mess. I was focused on my match. I knew exactly what I had to do, and the weather was good.

"Everything was perfect to play a beautiful match. So now if there is a problem in the crowd, if there is a donkey walking across the court, I don't care. I want to play my match."

Paire said Fognini, who has beaten nine-times French Open champion Rafa Nadal twice this year, told him after the match that he had been suffering from food poisoning.

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"I know that you always have to be careful, because Fabio can wake up all of a sudden," Paire said.

Paire will next play fourth seed Tomas Berdych who won through to the third round after beating fellow Czech player Radek Stepanek 6-3 6-7 (7-9) 6-3 6-3 in a match that lasted more than three hours on Court One.

Everything was perfect to play a beautiful match. So now if there is a problem in the crowd, if there is a donkey walking across the court, I don't care. I want to play my match.
Benoit Paire

Japanese trailblazer

Kei Nishikori of Japan in action during his match against Thomaz Bellucci at the French Open

Fifth-seeded Kei Nishikori, who was the only one of five Japanese players in the initial men's draw to have made it through to the second round, eased past Thomaz Bellucci of Brazil 7-5 6-4 6-4.

Next up for Nishikori is Germany's Benjamin Becker, who eliminated Spain's 32nd seed Fernando Verdasco, emerging from a marathon fifth set to progress 6-4 0-6 1-6 7-5 10-8.

Another Spaniard, 19th seed Roberto Bautista Agut, was knocked out in straight sets by Czech Lukas Rosol 6-4 6-2 6-2 but four French hopes gave the home fans something to shout about.

Gilles Simon dismissed Martin Klizan of Slovakia 7-5 6-2 6-3 while Jo-Wilfried Tsonga, a former semi-finalist here who is seeded 14, overcame Israel's Dudi Sela in three sets 6-4 6-1 6-1.

Gael force

Gael Monfils reacts during his match against Diego Schwartzman at the French Tennis

Gael Monfils was given a hard time on center court by Diego Schwartzman before rallying past the 62nd-ranked Argentine 4-6 6-4 4-6 6-2 6-3.

Next up will be 23rd-ranked Pablo Cuevas of Uruguay in the third round, but first "ice bath, massage," Monfils said. "Don't worry, I'll be ready."

French wild card Nicolas Mahut accounted for 2014 semi-finalist Ernests Gulbis 6-3 3-6 7-5 6-3.

Top quotes

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"All of them."

Switzerland's Stan Wawrinka on which of the four majors causes him the most problems.

"I just hope at least three French people cheer for me."

Mirjana Lucic Baroni who will face home player Alize Cornet in the third round.

"He says, 'Oh, yeah, that's a couple thousand dollar mistake. I wouldn't do that'."

Steve Johnson on opponent Sergiy Stakhovsky advising him not to take a photo of where he thought the ball had landed - in or out - in their match. Stakhovsky was once fined for a taking a snap of where a ball had landed. 

Fed rocks

British guitar player Angus Young, of AC/DC performs on the stage of the Stade de France during their 'Rock or Burst World Tour'

Guitarist with veteran rock band AC/DC Angus Young put away his school uniform for a Panama hat and a grown-up's shirt to watch Roger Federer on Court Suzanne Lenglen. Federer has met the band before, even attending a concert in Geneva in 2001.

When asked about the presence of Young among the crowd on a sun-drenched Paris day, Federer said: "I have seen them twice in concert. Once when I was 15 and I even met him. 

"I still had long hair at the time. I don't know if he remembers. It is a real pleasure to see him here."

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