Federer will have to play it cool in Paris

PARIS (Reuters) - World number two Roger Federer's hopes of playing on a baking-hot Center Court are likely to be dashed on Thursday when he takes on Argentine Jose Acasuso at the French Open in a second-round match.

The Swiss, chasing the only grand slam to have eluded him, likes the sun to beat down on court so the clay plays faster.

Since he was not too thrilled with the "mild" conditions in his first-round match -- when temperatures soared to 30 degrees Celsius -- he is unlikely to be happy about Thursday's 19-degree forecast even though he has a 3-0 record against Acasuso.

"In America and Australia we play at, 40, 45 degrees, So it's still pretty mild for my liking," the 13-times major champion, who lost to Spaniard Rafael Nadal in the last three finals at Roland Garros, said after his first match.

Serb Novak Djokovic, seeded fourth, should not be too bothered by Ukraine's Sergiy Stakhovsky on Suzanne Lenglen Court.

Women's second seed Serena Williams, who needed nine match points to reach round two, will be hoping for a drastic improvement in her form when she takes on Virginia Ruano Pascual and Serbia's Jelena Jankovic will also be in action.

The pick of the day's matches could unfold on Court One, where Australian former world number four Jelena Dokic will be looking to extend a 5-3 record against Russian fourth seed Elena Dementieva.

However, Dokic knows she will have an uphill task as she is playing at the claycourt major for the first time since 2004.

"I have a very tough draw in the next round," said the 26-year-old, who reached the quarter-finals of the Australian Open in January.

"No one can say I'm the favorite. Even on paper, she should probably win easily. There's absolutely no pressure in that match and I can just go out and try and do my best."

(Reporting by Julien Pretot; Editing by Pritha Sarkar and Sonia Oxley)