French Open 2015: Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic heading for showdown

CNN  — 

Defending champion Rafael Nadal and top seed Novak Djokovic are one win away from a mouthwatering quarterfinal showdown at the French Open after the pair secured routine third round victories Saturday.

Sixth seed Nadal is chasing a remarkable 10th title at the clay court grand slam he has made his own and judging by his straight sets win over Russian Andrey Kuznetsov he will not give up his crown without a fight.

Djokovic, desperate to dethrone the “King of Clay” and complete his own career grand slam, ended the run of Australian teenager Thanasi Kokkinakis.

Third seed Andy Murray also progressed beating Kokkinakis’ compatriot Kyrgios, the trio joining Roger Federer, who made the fourth round Friday.

Read: Federer and Sharapova advance

Nadal, so lowly ranked after an indifferent start to the 2015 campaign, reeled off nine of the first 10 games to establish a lead he never relinquished, despite a temporary fightback by Kuznetsov at the back end of the second set.

Dominant Nadal

A break in the third game of the third set ended all doubts and Nadal quickly wrapped up victory in exactly two hours, his 69th win on Paris clay against one solitary loss.

“I am playing more solid and am more consistent with each match,” was his verdict.

He will face 22-year-old Nebraskan Jack Sock for a place in the quarterfinals, the American ending the hopes of Croatian teenager Borna Coric, 6-2 6-1 6-4.

Sock, who won on clay in Houston last month, was dominant behind his first serve and only faced a single break point in a routine victory.

Earlier Saturday, Djokovic won his 25th straight match of an unbeaten run stretching back to his defeat to Federer in the final of the Dubai tournament in February.

Djokovic impressed

Intent on winning the one major to elude him, the 28-year-old Djokovic saw off the impressive challenge of Kokkinakis, 6-4 6-4 6-4 in one hour 49 minutes.

The Serbian hit 34 winners but was impressed by his 19-year-old opponent. “Thanasi has a lot of talent and strength,” he said.

Djokovic path to his anticipated last eight clash with Nadal, who has beaten him in the finals of 2012 and 2014, is blocked by home hope Richard Gasquet, one of five Frenchmen to reach the fourth round.

Gasquet overcame the loss of the opening set to beat giant South African Kevin Anderson in four stirring sets.

Murray extended his winning run on clay to 13-0 by putting young gun Kyrgios in his place on Court Suzanne Lenglen, cruising to a 6-4 6-2 6-3 victory.

Jeremy Chardy will likely provide a sterner test, the Frenchman surprising 17th seeded Belgian David Goffin 6-3 6-4 6-2.

Chardy is the fourth Frenchman to make the last-16.

U.S. Open champion and ninth seed Marin Cilic also progressed. He beat Leonardo Mayer in straight sets and will face Spain’s David Ferrer, the 2013 runner-up, for a place in the quarterfinals.

Serena battles through

The match of the day in the women’s draw saw top seed Serena Williams survive another scare against former world number one Victoria Azarenka.

Williams looked down and out on Philippe Chatrier when Azarenka, returning to her best after an injury ravaged 2014, led a set and 4-2 with inspired play.

But Williams broke back and took the next four games to level at a set apiece.

A disputed call in the final game of that set had clearly angered Azarenka and firing on all cylinders she took a 2-0 lead in the decider only for the American to hit back in typical style.

She took the next six games to close out a 3-6 6-4 6-2 victory in just over two hours.

Williams will next play fellow American Sloane Stephens for a place in the quarterfinals, bidding for her 20th grand slam title and third at the French Open .

“Today it was not easy, Victoria played very well and I was struggling,” she admitted in the court side interview.

Kvitova improves

Earlier, Wimbledon champion Petra Kvitova showed her quality after two indifferent matches to breeze past Romanian Irina-Camelia Begu 6-3 6-2 in just under an hour.

2012 losing finalist Italian Sara Errani made the last 16 with a 6-3 6-3 revenge win over Andrea Petkovic of Germany, who beat her in the quarterfinals at Roland Garros last year.

Errani’s veteran compatriot Francesca Schiavone, the 2010 champion,could not follow her into the fourth round, losing 7-5 6-4 to Andreea Mitu of Romania.

100th-ranked Mitu wll play 93rd-ranked Alison Van Uytvanck of Belgium, who ended the hopes of France’s Kristina Mladenovic 6-4 6-1, for an unlikely quarterfinal spot.