Five things we learned on Day 6 of Roland Garros - Djokovic toils, Nadal oils and Basilashvili recoils

Defending champion Novak Djokovic struggled into the last 16 while nine time champion Rafael Nadal enjoyed a centre court romp. The partisans also had their say - injecting the love and power to their ever so streaky Kiki.

Rafael Nadal was in rampant form as he annihilated Nikoloz Basilashvili 6-0 6-1 6-0 in 90 minutes. RFI/Pierre-René Worms

1. Embrace the pain

Nikoloz Basilashvili says he will not look at his third round defeat in a negative manner. And actually it was so brutal that he’s probably taking the right option. Rafael Nadal won the match 6-0 6-1 6-0. The first set was over in 26 minutes and the match in 90. The score is quite embarrassing,” conceded the 25-year-old Georgian. “But I have to accept it. And also it gives me a lot of motivation for the future to keep working hard. I have a lot of things to improve."

2. Embrace the gain

Rafael Nadal says thrashing Basilashvili really only helps him because it leads him into the fourth round. The victory, says the Spaniard, won’t give him any special powers over his next opponent Roberto Bautista Agut. But it does mean that he will be in Paris to spend his 31st birthday. “It is always great to celebrate my birthday here. I think only twice I didn't celebrate here and that was not the best feeling. It’s good news that I will be here. I am just happy for that.”

3. Good to be generous

Shelby Rogers reached the last eight last year and lost to Garbine Muguruza who went on to win the title. On day six, at 5-3 up in the decider, Rogers served for her third round match against 13th seed Kristina Mladenovic. But the Frenchwoman surged back and eventually won the final set 8-6 to the delight of the crowds on Court Suzanne Lenglen. “I felt like I kept doing the same thing,” said Rogers of her tactics in the final set. “But she didn't really miss a ball. I think she elevated her game. You know, big round of applause for her. She played very well.”

4. Once upon a time in the Mladenovic nursery …

There was this little bairn called Kristina who had tiny relatives who couldn’t pronounce her name. They proceeded to mumble it so effectively that it stuck. And now 20 odd years later she has crowds at Roland Garros chanting her nickname “Kiki” as she battles back from the brink with gutsy, never-say-die tennis. But that is now. What about then? “I was in my crib and there was a cousin who couldn't pronounce my name,” explained Mladenovic. “And he said: ‘Kiki’. Then my brother was born and he was two or three-years-old and he couldn't say: ‘Krrr’ so he said: ‘Keek’. So it just got stuck at Kiki.” Bless those krazy kids.

5. Rolling, rolling, rolling

When young Kiki was skipping round her nursery school, a Venus was rising. The first of the Williams sisters played her debut Roland Garros in 1997. A slip of a girl reached the second round but by the end of the year, she contested the US Open final losing to top seed Martina Hingis. Twenty springs later, 36-year-old Williams has reached the last 16 of Roland Garros after seeing off Elise Mertens from Belgium. The 10th seeded American won 6-3 6-1 in 62 minutes and will play the 30th seeded Swiss player Timea Bacsinszky for a place in the last eight for the first time in 11 years.