 SPAIN'S Rafa Nadal celebrated his birthday in style yesterday with a cracking win at Roland Garros against Argentina's Eduardo Schwank in three sets, putting him through to the next round.
The 'man from Manacor' will face one of his closest friends, Juan Monaco, also from Argentina, in what is looking set to be a Spain-dominated fourth round.
Jávea-born David Ferrer took out Russia's Mikhail Youznhy spectacularly to end on 6-0, 6-2 and 6-2 whilst Murcia's Nicolás Almagro wiped the floor with Leonardo Mayer by 6-4, 6-1 and 6-2.
Like Rafa, who won 6-1, 6-3 and 6-4 against Schwank, neither Almagro nor Ferrer have lost a single set yet during the whole tournament.
At least one Spanish player is assured for the quarter finals, since Marcel Granollers will face his fellow countryman, David Ferrer in the fourth round after winning a gruelling five-set match lasting nearly four hours against France's Paul-Henri Mathieu.
Rafa celebrated both his victory and his 26th birthday with an evening meal with his family, and today will do nothing more strenuous than a couple of practices to prepare himself for his second week in Paris. |
