French Open 2016: Aljaz Bedene's road to recovery continues with second round victory over Pablo Carreno Busta

Aljaz Bedene beat Pablo Carreno Busta 7-6, 6-3, 4-6, 5-7, 6-2 to reach round three in Paris

Aljaz Bedene celebrates his five-set victory over Pablo Carreno Busta in the French Open second round (Getty)

The chart detailing the number of aces hit here at the French Open has some familiar names at the top – until you get to the third player on the list. Ivo Karlovic and John Isner lead the way, but in third place is Aljaz Bedene. The 26-year-old Briton’s tally of 36 aces is one of the reasons why he is through to the third round of a Grand Slam tournament for the first time of his career.

Nevertheless, Bedene will need much more than serving firepower if he is to make further progress in the tournament. After his battling 7-6, 6-3, 4-6, 5-7, 6-2 victory over Spain’s Pablo Carreno Busta, Bedene will take on the world No 1, Novak Djokovic, who beat Belgium’s Steve Darcis 7-5, 6-3, 6-4.

Bedene’s progress here has come after a difficult period for the world No 66, who has slipped 21 places from his ranking position at the start of the year.

He thinks the stress that has come from his so far unsuccessful attempt to become available to play for Britain in the Davis Cup has affected him physically and contributed to two mid-match retirements in recent months.

When he arrived here Bedene had won only six of the 17 tour-level matches he had played this year, but now he has become the first British man other than Andy Murray to reach the third round at Roland Garros since Tim Henman in 2004.

He has clearly prospered under the guidance of Leon Smith, Britain’s Davis Cup captain, who has been working with him on a temporary basis since Bedene parted company with his coach, James Davidson, in March.

“I was playing well today,” Bedene said. “I just feel good on the court, which I think is the most important thing. He wasn't an easy opponent today and I think I played really well in the first two sets. I played a few sloppy games in the third and fourth sets which brought it to the fifth, but the fifth was good as well.”

Bedene, whose slight frame – especially in comparison to the giants Isner and Karlovic – does not give any indication of his serving power, said his place on the aces list had not escaped his attention. “When the serve goes well it goes well,” he said. “Sometimes I was serving three aces in a game today. It helps.”

There were queues to get on to a packed Court 6 for Bedene’s meeting with Carreno Busta, who is the world No 43 and has reached two clay-court finals this year. Bedene, who also enjoys this surface, took charge in the early stages.

After an exchange of breaks the first set went to a tie-break, which the Briton won 7-4. In the second set Bedene broke at 3-3 and again two games later to take the set in style.

Carreno Busta responded by making the only break of the third set in the third game.

Confirmation of the swing in momentum came at the start of the fourth set as Carreno Busta broke to love in the opening game.

Bedene fought back, but at 5-5 he dropped serve after missing two forehands in succession.

Aljaz Bedene was denied eligibility to represent Britain in the Davis Cup (Getty)

However, the Spaniard sent for the trainer at the start of the fifth set and had his left thigh heavily strapped. From 2-2 Bedene won four matches in succession to claim his victory, which he greeted with a roar of celebration.

“I’ve been fighting with myself a lot in the last few months,” Bedene said afterwards. “When the last ball goes wide or long, you just know you won. You just release everything that's been inside. I hope I didn't scream too much, but it was emotional, that last point.”

Bedene was still going strong at the end and gave credit to his fitness trainer, Martin Skinner, who has been working with him for three years. “I was really, really unfit when I started to play Grand Slams,”

Bedene said. “I was struggling. Whenever I played a fourth set I was just losing them quite easy.

“I remember once at the US Open I lost 6-0 and I was struggling. I really wanted to improve on that. When I employed Martin, when we started to work together, my fitness level just went up. It obviously helps not only in the fifth set but also in the other tournaments. I’m also staying healthy, so that's a big part as well.”

Djokovic has yet to drop a set here this year, though the world No 1 did not have things all his way against Darcis.

Even in the third set the Belgian retrieved an early break of serve before Djokovic closed out victory.

Pablo Cerreno Busta battled back from two sets down to level but ran out of steam (Getty)

“There were things that I definitely didn't like in my game today,” Djokovic said. “I made too many unforced errors from the first or second shot in the rally.”

In his only previous meeting with Djokovic, Bedene lost in straight sets at last year’s Australian Open. “I learned a lot,” Bedene said.

“I learned that you shouldn't have any sloppy games. I have to be focused, have to play my game, and see what happens. I know I started that match quite well. I have to be more focused from the beginning and take my chances. I know if I play well anything can happen.”

Bedene speaks Serbian and practised with Djokovic in Monte Carlo recently. “He’s a good guy,” Djokovic said. “He's very talented. He has a very quick motion on his first serve.

“I'm expecting a tough one, because now it's the third round and slowly we are getting into the second week of tournament.

There are no easy matches any more. He doesn't have anything to lose. We might play on centre court, or one of the two big ones, and I’m sure he will give it his all.”

Rafael Nadal is also through to the third round after crushing Argentina’s Facundo Bagnis 6-3, 6-0, 6-3.

The 29-year-old Spaniard, who is chasing his tenth French Open title, has dropped only nine games in the first two rounds. Borna Coric, who at 19 is regarded as one of the game’s best emerging talents, beat the No 20 seed, Bernard Tomic, 3-6, 6-2, 7-6, 7-6.

Serena Williams continued her quickfire progress through the tournament when she beat Brazil's Teliana Pereira 6-2, 6-1 in just 66 minutes.

The defending champion has dropped only five games in her first two matches, having crushed Magdalena Rybarikova in the first round in just 42 minutes.

Timea Bacsinszky, a semi-finalist here last year, beat Eugenie Bouchard, the 2014 Wimbledon runner-up, 6-4, 6-4.

Bouchard admitted afterwards that she needs to work on her mental strength. “I feel like I've not used that as much in the past year or so,” she said.