06 September,2010 08:51 AM IST | | AFP
Rafael Nadal swept into the last 16 at the US Open last night with a 6-4, 6-4, 6-2 win over France's Gilles Simon.
The No 1 seed plays compatriot Feliciano Lopez for a place in the quarter-finals. Lopez won through when opponent Sergiy Stakhovsky of Ukraine abandoned when losing 6-3, 4-0.
Seeking to complete a career Grand Slam in New York as the youngest player ever to do so, Nadal scored straight-sets wins in his first two ties but worked hard.
Nadal opened strongly, breaking in the third game on the way to stacking up a 3-1 lead and that was all he needed as he took the opener 6-4 in 47 minutes.
Simon held his own against the eight-time Grand Slam winner until 3-3 in the second set, but the weight of Nadal's forehands took its toll on him and he conceded serve in the seventh game.
"It was important not to lose without dropping a set," Nadal said.
