World number one Rafael Nadal easily dismissed Dusan Lajovic of Serbia 6-1, 6-2, 6-1 to reach the quarterfinals of the Roland Garros 2014 tournament. The eight-time champion will next face David Ferrer in a rematch of the final a year ago.
“I’m happy with the way that I played,” said Nadal. “Sure, you never know what’s better, but in theory, it’s better to win like this than to win longer matches. But you never know what’s the best thing for [the rest of the tournament]. I’m happy to be in the quarter-finals. It’s a positive result for me.”
Lajovic, ranked 83rd, reached the fourth round of a Grand Slan event for the first time without losing a set. However, he couldn’t do any damage against Nadal.
Nadal is not going to take the next match very lightly considering that Ferrer defeated Nadal in their most recent meeting – at the Monte Carlo Masters quarterfinals.
“I think that I am playing a little bit better than when I was playing against him in Monte-Carlo, but I think he’s playing great, too,” said Nadal. “He played three weeks in a row at a very high level. In Madrid he played great, in Rome he played great, and he’s playing great here.
“He’s coming to the match with confidence and with confidence that he beat me the last time. It will be a tough one. I know how to play against him and to have chances to win I need to play very well. That’s what I’m going to try. If not, it will be impossible.”
