Nadal moves step closer

Rafael Nadal moved a step closer to becoming the first man since Bjorn Borg to add the Wimbledon crown to his French Open title in the same year with a straight-sets win over qualifier Irakli Labadze.

The 20-year-old second seed continued his fine transition from clay to grass against the Georgian, who was simply outclassed despite taking the second set to a tie-break.

Nadal, the number two seed, was quick to take command against the world number 166 who had reached the last 16 of a major championship for the first time when Mardy Fish was forced to retire.

Labadze simply had no answer to the young Spaniard’s range of shots as Nadal moved to the net to pave the way for an early break.

The world number two held his next service game to love, which included an 111 mile-per-hour ace, and was soon 4-1 ahead in rapid time.

Labadze was struggling to keep pace and the Georgian was soon serving to save the set.

Although the 25-year-old held to love, Nadal made no mistake in game nine to take the opening set 6-3.

Labadze is nicknamed ‘freak show’ for a history of ill-tempered behaviour on court – and there was a glimpse of his short fuse in the second game of the next set.

The 25-year-old threw his racket to the floor in frustration – but was not called up by the umpire.

As the set developed, the Georgian, once in the world’s top 50, was at least now finding some range from the baseline.

Both players continued to hold serve, entertaining the early-evening crowd with a few exchanges at the net.

A break chance arrived in game nine following a double fault from Labadze, but a 122mph serve brought it back to deuce.

That was soon followed by a booming 131mph ace to again recover from a lapse in concentration, only for the Georgian to then strike a forehand into the bottom of the net.

Another break point was saved with a big serve, before Labadze finally closed out to lead again at 5-4.

The set then went to a tie-break.

A wide backhand from Nadal handed Labadze a mini-break at 4-3, only for him to then immediately send a forehand long.

A volley into the net then swung the advantage Nadal’s way at 5-4, and the number two seed served out to claim the second set 7-6 (7-4).

Nadal found himself love-30 down in the game three of the third set, before swiftly restoring order to lead 2-1.

Labadze showed he had a sense of humour when putting his arm around a line judge after another point went against him.

A rash backhand, however, handed Nadal a break point, which was claimed when Labadze’s shot on the turn also went wide of the tramline.

The number two seed soon moved 4-1 ahead before his opponent again questioned a correction by the umpire.

Nadal, however, remained composed as he closed in on a place in the quarter-finals, which he secured in his next service game with a fine cross-court forehand to complete a 6-3 7-6 (7-4) 6-3 victory.