Rafa simply too good for Simon

Nadal: Illuminating on Arthur Ashe

Today was a solid match, I think. The serve is still good, so that's a very important thing

Rafael Nadal
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Rafael Nadal continued his unblemished run at this year's US Open as he marched into the second week of Flushing Meadows with a comprehensive straight-sets triumph over Gilles Simon in the third round.

The top seed was rarely troubled by the unseeded Frenchman as he recorded a 6-4 6-4 6-2 victory in his first day match of the tournament.

Nadal, who is gunning for the Flushing Meadows title to complete his grand slam collection, dominated what proved to be a one-sided affair.

The world number one needed a minute shy of two hours to send Simon home to his new son who was born on Thursday four weeks ahead of schedule.

Nadal - the reigning French Open and Wimbledon champion - will face fellow left-handed Spaniard Feliciano Lopez for a place in the quarter-finals.

Lopez, the 23rd seed, was leading 6-3 4-0 against Sergiy Stakhovsky before the Ukrainian was forced to retire hurt from their third round clash.

Doomed

Former world number six Simon, returning to form after a year of problems with a knee injury, looked to a previous win over Nadal, on the Spaniard's home turf in Madrid in 2008, for inspiration.

But his optimism did not last long as Nadal started strongly, taking the 47 minutes opener after breaking his rival in the third game.

Simon briefly held his own against the eight-time major winner until 3-3 in the second set, when Nadal's huge forehands eventually took its toll on the 25-year-old.

Again, that was all the margin needed by the Spaniard as he served out twice to take a two sets to love lead.

Nadal was now firing on all cylinders and a break of serve in the opening game of the third set doomed any realistic hopes Simon may have harboured of making an unlikely comeback.

"I think I am playing better, a little bit better, every day," he said afterwards.

"Today was a solid match, I think. The serve is still good, so that's a very important thing. From the baseline I think my movements and my shots start to improve to be better every day."Bet nowBet now