Rafa sets up all-Spanish quarters

Eight-time champion Rafael Nadal brushed aside Dusan Lajovic 6-1, 6-2, 6-1 on Monday to storm into the French Open quarterfinal. World number one Nadal, who turns 28 on Tuesday, was at his ruthless, efficient best against the world number 83 who claimed a paltry 15 points off the champion’s serve.

Watched by US rock star Prince, who played a concert in the French capital on Sunday, Nadal, seeking to become the first man to win five French Opens in a row, needed just 93 minutes to go through to a last-eight showdown with compatriot David Ferrer. 

In an earlier fixture, Ferrer scripted a 6-3, 6-3, 6-7(5), 6-1 victory over Kevin Anderson. The fifth seed reached his 10th straight grand slam last eight by beating the 2.03 metre (6ft 8in) South African, who towers nearly 30 cm (1 ft) above him. The two men met in last year’s final where Nadal allowed Ferrer just eight games. 

Despite his Philippe Chatrier court mauling, Lajovic at least had the consolation of avoiding the worst Roland Garros rout handed out by Nadal. That unwanted record belongs to Juan Monaco who won just two games in a fourth round loss in 2012.

‘Dusan had a great tournament, he had three good wins. It’s never easy playing on this Philippe Chatrier court for the first time. I controlled the points from the baseline and I am happy to be into another quarterfinal,’ said Nadal, whose record in Paris now stands at 63 wins against just one defeat. 

Nadal holds a 21-6 advantage over Ferrer in their career meetings but it was his compatriot who won their most recent clash in the Monte Carlo quarter-final in April.