Nadal sets up Spanish showdown with Lopez
The first two sets were closely fought but the world number one always had the edge and he ran through the third to complete a 6-4 6-4 6-2 victory and set up a last-16 clash against fellow Spaniard Feliciano Lopez.
David Ferrer and Fernando Verdasco set up another all-Spanish duel.
Ferrer advanced to the last 16 at Flushing Meadows for just the second time in his career with a comfortable 7-6 (7/2) 6-2 6-2 win over yet another Spaniard, Daniel Gimeno-Traver.
Eighth seed Verdasco needed four sets to beat Argentina’s David Nalbandian and is now looking forward to the clash with Ferrer.
“It’s good that there is going to be for sure one Spanish player in the quarter-finals,” Verdasco said.
“It’s always nice to see all the Spanish winning and being in the last rounds.
“If you need to lose, it’s better to lose against a Spanish player, then at least one guy is going to be here for one round more.”
A record nine Spanish players had reached the third round, but 14th seed Nicolas Almagro was unable to join Ferrer and Verdasco in the last 16 as he lost in straight sets to American Sam Querrey.
Meanwhile former world number one Ana Ivanovic admitted nerves had got to her after she won just three games in her fourth-round clash with defending champion Kim Clijsters.
Clijsters triumphed 6-2 6-1 to extend her winning streak at Flushing Meadows to 18 matches, the 27-year-old having won the title in 2005 and then coming out of retirement last year to lift the trophy again in only her 14th match and third tournament since returning to action.
Ivanovic became world number one when she won the French Open in 2008, but is currently ranked 40th after injury problems and a loss of form.
“I was feeling really good in the court and just swinging through, hitting my favourite shots again.
“Today I was just a little bit slow. I think nerves crept in.”
Sixth seed Schiavone beat Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova 6-3 6-0, while third seed Venus Williams had to battle hard to see off Israel’s Shahar Peer 7-6 (7/3) 6-3.
Schiavone will now face Williams in an intriguing quarter-final.
CONNECT WITH US TODAY
Be the first to know the latest news and updates
