Rafael Nadal Cruises Into Third Round at Roland Garros
PARIS (AP) Rafael Nadal completed another straight-set win to reach the third round of the French Open on Thursday, extending his Roland Garros record to 81-2.
Nadal is once again the big favorite on his favorite surface following a tremendous clay-court season, and the 10-time champion lived up to the status by easily dispatching Guido Pella of Argentina 6-2, 6-1, 6-1 on Court Suzanne Lenglen.
Nadal hasn't lost a set at the French Open since 2015, when he was beaten in the quarterfinals by Novak Djokovic. In 2016, he withdrew with an injured left wrist after a pair of easy victories, then claimed every set he played last year en route to the trophy.
Against Pella, the top-ranked Spaniard saved all four break points he faced and hit 37 winners. He will be up against Richard Gasquet of France in the next round.
Gasquet advanced to this stage for the eighth straight year by defeating Malek Jaziri 6-2, 3-6, 6-3, 6-0.
Gasquet and Nadal are both 31 years old and know each other since their teenage years. Nadal has since become a multiple Grand Slam winner and the most successful clay-court player ever, while Gasquet did not live up to the huge expectations surrounding him at the start of his professional career.
He has never beaten Nadal in 15 previous meetings.
Among other seeded players advancing were No. 3 Marin Cilic, No. 6 Kevin Anderson, No. 7 Dominic Thiem and No. 15 Lucas Pouille.
