PARIS — Eight-time champion Rafael Nadal stopped young challenger Dominic Thiem 6-2, 6-2, 6-3 to reach the third round of the French Open as 2013 runner-up David Ferrer also advanced.
PARIS — Eight-time champion Rafael Nadal stopped young challenger Dominic Thiem 6-2, 6-2, 6-3 to reach the third round of the French Open as 2013 runner-up David Ferrer also advanced.
The Spanish pair, who contested the final a year ago, emerged winners after contrasting battles, with fifth seed Ferrer beating Italian Simone Bolelli with 6-2, 6-3, 6-2 ease.
Top seed Nadal had to pass a much more serious test as he got past the 20-year-old Thiem, tipped for a huge future with an all-court game and one-handed power backhand.
The 57th-ranked player gave as good as he got in just over two hours on court with the Nadal, who ended with seven breaks of serve.
“It was a dangerous match, dangerous opponent today,” said Nadal. “I played well, the way that I would like to play. I resisted his very powerful shots.”
Seventh seed Andy Murray turned in a no-nonsense 6-3, 6-1, 6-3 win over Australian Marinko “Mad Dog” Matosevic, who rolled in the dirt after winning his first Grand Slam match on his lucky 13th try in the previous round.
Murray kept up the pressure and advanced with 31 winners, taking 14 of the final 17 games of a contest lasting just under two hours.
“I was just trying to make sure that my intensity was there every moment, especially at the beginning of the sets,” Murray said. “I managed to get ahead early in all of them, and that helped.”