PARIS TENNIS NEWS • RAFA NADAL ON A ROLL 2017 FRENCH OPEN – ROLAND GARROS

Written by: Staff on 4th June 2017

French Open tennis tournament at Roland Garros

PARIS TENNIS NEWS • RAFA NADAL ON A ROLL 2017 FRENCH OPEN - ROLAND GARROS

epa06009899 Rafael Nadal of Spain in action against Roberto Bautista Agut of Spain during their men?s singles 4th round match during the French Open tennis tournament at Roland Garros in Paris, France, 04 June 2017. EPA/CHRISTOPHE PETIT TESSON |

Nadal to continues to rock and roll at Roland Garros, advances to another all-Spanish showdown

By Ricky Dimon

Rafael Nadal remained in ruthless form at the French Open on Sunday afternoon, beating fellow Spaniard Roberto Bautista Agut 6-1, 6-2, 6-2 in one hour and 50 minutes. Nadal sent 31 winners whizzing past his opponent and converted seven of his 18 break-point opportunities.

Bautista Agut dropped his opening service game of the match at 0-1 in the first set and got broken at 1-1 in the second, so he never had much of a chance. The world No. 18 got a look at his only opening–if it was even an “opening”–when he held two service games en route to 2-1 in the third and had a break point to go up 3-1.

But Nadal closed that door and was off the races, taking the last five games of the match. He did not even get pushed to deuce in any of the last four.

Rafael Nadal of Spain in action against Roberto Bautista Agut of Spain during their men’s singles 4th round match during the French Open tennis tournament at Roland Garros in Paris, France, 04 June 2017. EPA/CHRISTOPHE PETIT TESSON

“I am healthy and I am playing well,” the nine-time Roland Garros champion assessed. “That’s the only important thing for me. (I’m) very happy about the first week of competition, obviously.”

None of Nadal’s potential remaining opponents can be thrilled about it. If they look at the results, they will see that he has surrendered a mere 20 total games through four rounds. Consider it a message sent.

So is beating him this fortnight mission impossible?

“I don’t think it was mission impossible, but it [was] very tough,” Bautista Agut said of going up against Nadal. “I think in the first set I was playing good tennis, but as you saw I lost 6-1. I had this entire game-plan in my mind that I wanted to apply; it didn’t work, and I paid the price.”

Thus the world No. 4 is through to the French Open quarterfinals for the 11th time in his career. His reward is a date with another fellow Spaniard and good friend Pablo Carreno Busta, who battled past Milos Raonic 4-6, 7-6(2), 6-7(6), 6-4, 8-6 in four hours and 17 minutes on Sunday to reach his first-ever Grand Slam quarterfinal.

Does Carreno Busta have a chance?

“If I think that I don’t have chances, I will not play,” Carreno Busta said. “So for sure I think I have chances. (It) is really difficult, because Rafa is maybe the best player [on] this surface [in] history, and he’s playing really [well]. But I will try. I’m playing [well], with a lot of confidence. Maybe I’m a little tired, but I have one day off.”