Statistically speaking, Rafael Nadal has been more dominant during past starts at Roland Garros. But anyone who watched his latest commanding performance on Sunday in Paris might think about challenging that statement.
The Spaniard reigned yet again on Suzanne-Lenglen Court, rolling into the quarter-finals with a 6-1, 6-2, 6-2 victory against countryman and 17th seed Roberto Bautista Agut, who was trying to reach the last eight at a Grand Slam for the first time. Nadal improved to 13-0 against Spaniards at Roland Garros and 20-3 against them at the tour-level.
The nine-time Roland Garros champion marches into the quarter-finals for the 11th time, joining Roger Federer at the top of the chart for most Roland Garros quarter-final showings in the Open Era (since April 1968). Novak Djokovic could create a three-way tie later on Sunday when he faces 19th seed Albert Ramos-Vinolas.
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Perhaps even more impressive is Nadal's ruthlessness as he's stormed through the field this fortnight in Paris. The World No. 4 has dropped only 20 games during his first four matches, one game short of his best start at a Grand Slam. At the 2012 Roland Garros, which Nadal eventually captured, the left-hander had lost only 19 games through his first four matches.
“Nadal is at his best. He plays every point with great intensity and yields nothing. You try to take a few risks, and then of course you make more mistakes than usual,” Bautista Agut said.
For one more piece of Nadal dominance, consider his past six sets against Georgian Nikoloz Basiliashvili and Bautista Agut: 6-0, 6-1, 6-0, 6-1, 6-2, 6-2.
“I played against a very good player, and I was able to win in straight sets with a very positive result. So I'm happy for that. I probably didn't play as well as I did the other day, but I still played well,” Nadal said.
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Nadal, who turned 31 on Saturday, controlled his second FedEx ATP Head2Head meeting against Bautista Agut from the start. The Mallorca native crushed a forehand winner, his 11th of the set, to take the opener after 37 minutes. The nine-time champion broke Bautista Agut twice in the second set to race to a two-sets-to-zero lead. Nadal would finish the match on his racquet.
He will next meet 20th seed and fellow Spaniard Pablo Carreno Busta, who beat fifth seed Milos Raonic 4-6, 7-6(2), 6-7(6), 6-4, 8-6 to celebrate his first Top 10 win and make his first Grand Slam quarter-final. Nadal leads their FedEx ATP Head2Head series 3-0, and two of their three meetings have come on clay.
“I am in the quarter-finals, and I am healthy and I am playing well. That's the only important thing for me,” Nadal said. “The goal is always to try your best every day and to try to be through to the next round. That's what I've done so I'm very happy about the first week of competition, obviously.”
Go inside the tournament at RolandGarros.com.