French Open: U.S.’s Taylor Townsend and Donald Young go way back

Many tennis fans are just getting to know Taylor Townsend, the 18-year-old American who has reached the third round at the French Open in her Grand Slam debut.

Donald Young, another young American, is more familiar with the talented teen.

“I have known her since she was born, since she was just in the cradle and all that,” the 24-year-old Young said Thursday after also advancing to the third round at Roland Garros.

“My parents and her parents have been friends since before I was born,” Young added. “My parents started her playing tennis. They were like the first coaches and kind of worked like that, and they were always around.”

If Townsend and Young keep playing like they did in their opening matches, they might be hanging around together at Roland Garros into the second week.

Murray moves on to third round

Wimbledon champion Andy Murray made it through to the third round of the French Open, beating Marinko Matosevic 6-3, 6-1, 6-3 Thursday.

The seventh-seeded Murray missed last year’s French Open because of a back injury, but he reached the semifinals in 2011 and the quarterfinals a year later.

Murray will face Philipp Kohlschreiber of Germany in the third round.

Advancing seeds

Eight-time champion Rafael Nadal advanced to the third round of the French Open with a 6-2, 6-2, 6-3 win against Dominic Thiem of Austria.

Although the top-seeded Spaniard broke Thiem’s serve seven times overall, the Austrian’s heavy groundstrokes also caused Nadal problems and he lost his own serve twice. Nadal converted his second match point when Thiem’s forehand looped out. He next faces either Leonardo Mayer of Argentina or Russia’s Teymuraz Gabashvili. … Fifth-seeded David Ferrer of Spain comfortably advanced to the third round of the French Open by beating Italy’s Simone Bolelli 6-2, 6-3, 6-2. Ferrer, last year’s runner-up to Rafael Nadal, broke Bolleli’s serve five times and saved all four break points he faced. … Former French Open champion Svetlana Kuznetsova of Russia advanced to the third round by beating Camila Giorgi of Italy 7-6 (5), 6-3. … Sixth-seeded Jelena Jankovic of Serbia and 15th-seeded Sloane Stephens of the United States also advanced in straight sets.