Nadal's double-quick time win

2008-06-03 18:00

Paris - Triple defending champion and second seed Rafael Nadal coasted into the French Open semi-finals on Tuesday with a 6-1 6-1 6-1 thrashing of fellow Spaniard Nicolas Almagro.

He will play third seed Novak Djokovic of Serbia to clinch a fourth consecutive appearance in the final which will be played on Sunday.

It was the Mallorcan muscleman's 26th straight win at Roland Garros since he made his debut in 2005 and came on the day of his 22nd birthday.

It sounded an ominous warning to first Djokovic and then top seed Roger Federer who is expected to play him in Sunday's final for the third time in a row.

Almagro's resistance lasted all of two games after which he was left helpless faced with Nadal's heavy top-spin made all the more hard to deal with by the heavy nature of the balls brought on by the damp, overcast conditions.

It was more of the same, one-way fare in the second set and 19th seed Almagro was left shaking his dead in bewilderment sparking a round of sympathetic hand-clapping from the crowd in a bid to encourage him.

Nevertheless, the second set still went the same way as the first with Nadal on top 6-1. Just to keep things in proportions, Nadal also won the third set 6-1.

"I had expected a tougher match than that to be honest," he said. "I still hope to play better in the next round against Djokovic. It will likely be harder."

Nadal has yet to drop a set in the tournament and has been taken past six games only once - in the firsts set of his opening tie against Nicolas Devilder.

In five matches played he has dropped just 25 games and average of five per game.

- AFP