NEW YORK. – Rafa Nadal handed old foe Richard Gasquet a Flushing Meadows mugging on Saturday (Sunday in Manila), walloping the Frenchman 6-0, 6-1, 7-5 to ease into the US Open fourth round.
Losing to Nadal is nothing new for Gasquet, who is now 0-18 against the Spaniard but seldom over the years has the Frenchman absorbed such a beating.
Arriving at Flushing Meadows having played just a single match since pulling out of Wimbledon semifinals with an abdominal injury, Nadal has been in a race to find form.
After two tough four-set wins — over Australian wild card Rinky Hijikata in his opener and Italy’s Fabio Fognini in the second round — Nadal said there were signs of progress against Gasquet.
But the 36-year-old acknowledged he will need much more improvement if he is to challenge for a fifth US Open title, which would tie him with Jimmy Connors, Roger Federer and Pete Sampras for the most in the Open Era.
Up next for Nadal is American hope Frances Tiafoe, who advanced with a 7-6(7), 6-4, 6-4 win over Argentine 14th seed Diego Schwartzman.
“My best match in the tournament, easy,” Nadal said after the win. “An important improvement. But I need to keep going.
“I know this is the right moment to make an improvement if I want to keep having chances to keep going on the tournament. Today was an improvement. I need another important improvement for the next day.”
Nadal is always a favorite in New York, but such was the second seed’s dominance that even the Arthur Ashe Stadium crowd tried to lift Gasquet’s spirit as he fell behind 6-0 3-0.
