"Oooooh!" Chatrier can barely contain its surprise as a Djokovic produces a dropshot that a club player would be yelling their disgust at. And moments later the Serb cracks a forehand long to give Bedene a sniff at 15-30. But that's all it is. A lingering whiff of hope which the Paris wind quickly whips away from Bedene's nostrils. Normal service resumes with a couple of quick thumping winners and a Djokovic-siding tug o' war in the final point.

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Great Britain Davis Cup captain Leon Smith is watching from the Chatrier stands, sitting in Bedene's box and clapping plenty of encouragement. Bedene's first ace of the match puts him 30-15 ahead and ramps up the intensity. Djoko can't cope with the world number 66's power as Bedene holds.

Djokovic - the world's top dog - needed over seven minutes to hold his serve there. Hope for our adopted Briton?

Image source, AP

The crowd on Chatrier are gasping at the quality of shot-making they are seeing. Even the umpire tells them to pipe down during points. Djokovic is making a racket too, grunting loudly with every backhand return. An extra bit of grunt helps land a stunning cross-court winner as Bedene can't convert that break point. Djokovic finally edges over the line - at the sixth time of asking.

Oh hello. Bedene's confidence is growing. The British number two staves off a game point, following up a deep forehand with confident smash. That's deuce. The world number one gives himself another chance of wrapping this one up...nope, Bedene is hanging on. Then, almost out of nowhere, the Briton has a break point of his own...

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Those early nerves have disappeared. Aljaz Bedene winds his side of the scoreboard into action with a solid service game. A neat dropshot leaves Djokovic scrambling to the net, where Bedene is waiting to pump down the winner.

Uh oh. This looks ominous. Novak Djokovic has his game face on. An unforced backhand error gives Bedene hope, but that mistake jolts the Serb into life. Four quick points later and Bedene goes into the changeover with a big, fat zero next to his name on the scoreboard.

But Djokovic is not going away. The predatory Serb is skulking around the Bedene serve, waiting to pounce. He tees up a third break point thanks to a trademark backhand drop shot that has more spin than a Shane Warne special. This time Bedene can't fight off his opponent. Early advantage for Djokovic...

Bedene staves off that early chance, smacking down an overhead volley that leaves Djokovic swishing in clean, Parisian air. Deuce...quickly followed by another Djokovic chance when Bedene slaps a forehand into the net. Again he saves...

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Not know much about Aljaz Bedene? Well, you need to know that his serve is his most potent weapon. Immediately it is under pressure though, Djokovic earning an early break point...

Djokovic won in three sets when these two last met at the Aussie Open - their only meeting in fact - and he means business tonight.

He's got about an hour and 45 minutes to see this one through before darkness falls. No messing. Little over a minute flies by and he holds to love.

* denotes next server

Here we go then. Aljaz Bedene steps out of the Chatrier wings for the first time, a healthy applause greeting the adopted Briton's arrival. Perhaps the partisan Parisians don't realise he comes from across the Channel...

The noise level zooms up the decibel meter for Djokovic's arrival. He's gunning for his first Roland Garros title remember. Djoko to serve first...

But the way this French Open has been going for the world's leading fellas, don't expect top seed Novak Djokovic to cruise through into the last 16 without any problems.

The Roland Garros injury curse is lurking and ready to pounce on another unsuspecting victim. Roger Federer didn't even make the start line, Rafa Nadal didn't make round three and Jo-Wilfried Tsonga didn't make the whole of the first set against Ernests Gulbis.

The big Frenchman's left knee is giving him some bother, forcing him to quit against the unseeded Latvian a short time ago. 

Image source, EPA

We've had sun, we've had rain. We've had serious rain (accompanied by thunder and lightning). We've had a two-and-a-half hour delay. We've seen some action from a bird's eye view - because the electrical storm drenched the television equipment.

First we expected Aljaz Bedene and Novak Djokovic about 16:00 BST on Chatrier. Then we expected them about 19:00 on Lenglen. Now they are back on Chatrier and ready to roll.

Finally, everything *appears to be* running as intended in Paris....

Image source, Reuters

Bonjour mes amis! You know those days when all your plans go squiffy? Like when you know you have to pop to the shops, go for a run, maybe get the hair trimmed...then it flings it down with rain. So you put off going out, wonder if you'll ever see sunshine again, shuffle things around. Roland Garros has had one of those days...

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Teeth-clenching grin. Euphoric eyes. Finger wagging. The look of a man who has just reached the third round of a Slam for the first time....

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Then...the moment he realises Novak Djokovic is there waiting for him....

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