Nadal drops one game in French Open win

French Open favourite Rafael Nadal was at his brutal best as he romped into the round of 16 at the expense of Nikoloz Basilashvili.

Rafael Nadal has dropped just one game on his way to a straight-sets victory over Nikoloz Basilashvili in their French Open third-round match.

With the rain clouds rolling in, Nadal seemed keen to book his place in the round of 16 and needed just 90 minutes to steamroll his Georgian opponent 6-0 6-1 6-0.

"I don't know if it was perfection," Nadal, who turns 31 on Saturday, said.

"I went on court thinking it was going to be a tough match ... I believe I played the best match since a while."

World No.63 Basilashvili had no response to Nadal's onslaught on Court Philippe-Chatrier, with the nine-times winner at Rolland Garros hitting 27 winners to five and converting eight of 16 break-point opportunities.

It took Basilashvili until the 12th game of the match to register on the scoreboard.

It was Nadal's 100th best-of-five-sets match on clay. He has a 98-2 win-loss record.

No.4 seed Nadal will face compatriot Roberto Bautista Agut, the No.17 seed, in the fourth round after the No.17 seed overwhelmed Czech Jiri Vesely earlier on Friday.


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Source: AAP



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