Nadal beats Khachanov to reach last 16

Two-time champion Rafael Nadal is through to the last 16 of Wimbledon with a straight-set win over Russia’s Karen

Khachanov. Spanish fourth seed Nadal took the first set in just 21 minutes and eventually won 6-1

6-4 7-6 (7-3) on Centre

Court.

Ninth seed Kei Nishikori is out after the

Japanese lost in four sets to Spain’s Roberto Bautista Agut. Marin Cilic is also through after comfortably beating Steve Johnson. Nadal broke the 21-year-old Khachanov’s serve three times in the first set as he completely dominated his opponent. The second set was a tighter affair, with Khachanov finally holding his serve but still being broken in the third game.

Nadal had to save a set point in the third to force a tie-break, but the French Open champion triumphed in two hours and 14 minutes. Victory means Nadal has not dropped a set in his past 10 Grand Slam matches, winning 28 completed sets in a row.

If he reaches the final then he will return to the top of the world rankings for the first time since June 2014.-BBC would have to be rated one of their gutsiest wins of the season.

The match finished two tries apiece with a penalty goal to Michael Gordon splitting the teams.

But on a night when the Rabbitohs were desperate for the two competition points, the real difference was attitude and errors with the Roosters deserving winners.

“I was really, really proud of them,” Trent Robinson said.

“It was a Roosters-style performance. All 17 guys stuck on task and they kept going and they kept going and it is the best we played for six or seven weeks I’d say.”

But the loss was a terrible blow to the Rabbitohs’ finals hopes.

From here, Souths face a tough run through to September and still need to win at least six of their remaining eight games to make the top eight cut. It starts with the Cowboys next Sunday in Cairns and following that it’s the Sharks, Raiders, Dragons, Bulldogs, Warriors, Storm and Eels.-