Rafael Nadal sustained his dominance on the hard court on Thursday after booking a sensational 6-2, 6-1, 6-0 win over Dutra Silva. With another masterful victory, the Mallorcan tennis star solidified his status as the man to beat in the US Open Championships.
Nadal has been nothing but overwhelming through the first two rounds of play in Flushing Meadows. After booking a 6-4, 6-2, 6-2 win over American youngster Ryan Harrison, Nadal came through with a merciless performance against a helpless Silva.
The 12-time Grand Slam champion recorded 30 wins and won 30 points out of 37 first serve opportunities. Defensively, Nadal has been all over the court, chasing every shot batted to him by Silva.
Nadal advanced to the third round, where he will face veteran Croatian netter Ivan Dodig, who is coming off 6-1, 6-4, 6-4 victory over former world's no.3 Nikolay Davydenko in the second round. The Spaniard split his previous two matches with Dodig ahead of their third round rubber match.
Roger Federer continued to be splendid so far as the 17-time Grand Slam champion demolished Carlos Berlocq 6-3, 6-2, 6-1. Federer fired six aces and racked up 37 winners against the Argentine, who managed just 17 winners. Up next for Federer is Frenchman Adrian Mannarino, who moved on to the third round following his hard-earned 7-6, 7-6, 6-7, 6-4 win over Sam Querrey.
Nadal and Federer are just two victories away from arranging a pulsating quarterfinal showdown in the US Open.
Meanwhile, top-seeded players from the women's side easily advanced to the next round. Former world's no.1 Caroline Wozniacki defeated Chanelle Scheepers 6-1, 6-2 while Victoria Azarenka cruised to a 6-3, 6-1 win against Aleksandra Wozniak. World no.1 and tournament favorite Serena Williams also had an easy time in her second round match as she clobbered Galina Voskoboeva 6-3, 6-0.
- Contribute to this Story:
- Send us a tip
- Send us a photo or video
- Suggest a correction
