By Richard Pagliaro | Thursday, May 28, 2015
Rafael Nadal continued his dominance of Nicolas Almagro, 6-4, 6-3, 6-1, to reach the Roland Garros third round.
Photo credit: Roland Garros
There is a time and place for everything.
Facing Rafael Nadal on a Grand Slam stage is never a good time or place for Nicolas Almagro.
Growing stronger as the match progressed, Nadal dismissed Almagro, 6-4, 6-3, 6-1, to roll into the Roland Garros third round.
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It was a cleaner performance from Nadal than his opening-round win, as he found his range quickly, defended vigorously and exhibited sharp shot-making against an experienced clay-court opponent he has mastered in the past.
"I think I played a good match," Nadal said afterward. "I think I did a few things very well."
The reigning Roland Garros champion raised his record in Paris to 68-1. He will play Russian Andrey Kuznetsovfor a spot in the round of 16.
Curling his forehand into the corners and crunching his two-handed backhand with more depth and conviction than he has earlier in the season, Nadal broke serve six times in continuing his career-long dominance of his compatriot.
The left-hander has won 13 of 14 meetings against the man with the brilliant one-handed backhand, including all five of their Grand Slam clashes without permitting a single set in those major meetings.
An explosive ball-striker off both wings, Almagro was bidding to become just the sixth man to score multiple clay-court wins over the nine-time Roland Garros champion. Almagro stunned Nadal in Barcelona last year, but ran into a familiar road block on the clay today.
Once Nadal starts creating running rallies, Almagro just can't quite stay in step.
Almagro fended off break points in the opening game, but could not sustain the resistance in his next service game. Nadal ripped a backhand winner breaking for 2-1 first-set lead.
Nadal worked width of the court, playing angles to stretch Almagro, who is not nearly as quick around the court as the sixth seed and isn't as skilled on the slide, either. Still, Almagro showed his competitive spirit in fighting off three set points in a 16-point game, eventually holding for 4-5.
Nadal, who won just one of seven break points in the opening set, served out the 51-minute first set, lashing an inside-out forehand winner on his fifth set point.
Scrambling well behind the baseline, Nadal made several sliding stabs to extend the point, eventually forcing an errant forehand breaking back to win the second set.
All three of Almagro's Roland Garros quarterfinal trips ended with straight-sets sweeps at the hands of Nadal and by the time the third set was underway he was wearing the vacant of expression of a man who knew how this story would end and was powerless to alter the plot.
Even when Almagro threatened, Nadal often had the answer. He saved six of seven break points, including three break points in the third set.
Moving fluidly and forcing Almagro to play closer and closer to the lines, Nadal absorbed his opponent's pace and drained errors storming out to a 5-0 lead in the third set. He closed in two hours, 22 minutes.