Nadal merciless; Djokovic struggles to win
Spaniard plans to spend 31st birthday watching Real Madrid play Juventus in the Champions League final, while Novak Djokovic made to sweat in fiveset victory over Diego Schwartzman of Argentina
Nine-time champion Rafael Nadal lost just one game in a ruthless display to reach the French Open last 16 on Thursday, while Garbine Muguruza gained further momentum in the defence of her title. Nadal demonstrated why he is once more considered the overwhelming favourite at Roland Garros with a brutal demolition of Georgia’s Nikoloz Basilashvili.
The Spaniard romped to a 6-0, 6-1, 6-0 win, narrowly missing out on becoming just the sixth man in the Open era to record a “triple bagel”. “Perfection? I don’t know about that,” said Nadal, who plans to celebrate his 31st birthday on Saturday by watching Real Madrid play Juventus in the Champions League final.“Tomorrow at 8.45 I’m going to be in front of the TV for sure supporting my team, hoping that Real Madrid will win another time.”
Nadal will meet compatriot Roberto Bautista Agut for a spot in the quarter-finals.
Defending champion Novak Djokovic struggled into the French Open last 16, downing battling Diego Schwartzman of Argentina 5-7, 6-3, 3-6, 6-1, 6-1.
The second seed endured a rollercoaster of an afternoon on Philippe Chatrier court, picking up warnings for his behaviour as his mindset became as gloomy as the weather. The 30-year-old, almost undone by 55 unforced errors, eventually triumphed, racking up 12 of the last 14 games as Schwartzman’s challenge was foiled by a late back injury.
Djokovic will face either France’s Lucas Pouille, the 16th seed, or 19th-seeded Albert Ramos-Vinolas of Spain for a place in the last eight. GOFFIN SUFFERS INJURY Canadian fifth seed Milos Raonic advanced to the last 16 when Guillermo Garcia-Lopez retired with a thigh injury in the second set. Raonic, a quarter-finalist in Paris in 2014, led 6-1, 1-0 before the veteran Spaniard, ranked 153, quit after just 28 minutes.
Belgian 10th seed David Goffin suffered a nasty ankle injury when he got caught up in court covers, forcing him to abandon his third-round tie with Horacio Zeballos of Argentina.
Goffin was leading 5-4 when he chased down the ball towards the back of the Suzanne Lenglen court.However, his right foot got horribly jammed beneath the rolled-up tarpaulins before he tumbled into the wall and a linesman’s chair.
He was helped from the court by two officials and retired in the locker room.
“It’s terrible. It’s really bad luck. I always thought that that tarp was dangerous and not in the right place,” Nadal said later about Goffin’s injury.
Muguruza swept into round four of the women’s draw with a 7-5, 6-2 win over Kazakh 27th seed Yulia Putintseva.
NADAL DEMONSTRATED WHY HE IS ONCE MORE CONSIDERED THE OVERWHELMING FAVOURITE AT THE ROLAND GARROS