• US Open, Day Seven

Superb Nadal lays down marker with crushing win

Rafael Nadal battled through the first set before cuising past David Nalbandian © Getty Images

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Plays of the Day: Nal that's a point
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Rafael Nadal fired a warning shot across the bows of his rivals with a hugely impressive victory over David Nalbandian on Sunday, the Spaniard prevailing 7-6(5) 6-1 7-5 to confidently move into the last 16 at Flushing Meadows.

The defending champion, who enjoyed an early finish to his second round match when Nicolas Mahut was forced to retire at the beginning of the third set, looked impressive at the start of the match, holding to love in two minutes. However, Nalbandian, who entered the match with a 2-2 career record against Nadal, went for broke in the opening stages and was rewarded for his attacking play when he broke to lead 3-2.

Nalbandian's tactics were clear; crack a backhand crosscourt, move Nadal out wide and move in to put away a volley winner. For much of the set his strategy worked, but he was always under pressure to continue playing at such a high standard and the strain finally told when he made rare mistakes to hand the break back while serving for the set.

There was a sense of inevitability about the ensuing tiebreak, with Nadal showing greater mental strength at the key times to edge it. Grabbing the opening set was huge for Nadal as Nalbandian's intensity clearly faltered - the Argentine immediately dropping serve at the start of the second. After a marathon first set, Nadal closed in on victory by racing through the next in only 27 minutes.

Nalbandian gave himself a glimmer of hope by snatching a break at the start of the third set, only for Nadal to respond with one of his own in the next game. Sensing victory was within his grasp, Nadal, hampered by blisters, broke again and moved to within one game of clinching the match at 5-2.

However, his level dropped a little as he looked to close out the match, allowing Nalbandian to claw his way back and threaten a comeback, momentarily at least. It was not to be though, Nadal ploughing three winners in a row to go 6-5 in front before booking a place in round four when a tiring Nalbandian capitulated in the following game.

Fifth-seed Spaniard David Ferrer raced to a 6-1, 6-2, 7-6(2) victory over Germany's Florian Mayer in less than two hours to set up a meeting with 2003 champion Andy Roddick, who dumped out French wildcard Julien Benneteau 6-1 6-4 7-6(5).

Home favourite Roddick, who was knocked out in the second round last year, had his serve to thank - he was not broken throughout - as he fired down 21 aces and won 81 per cent of points on his first effort to seal a place in the fourth round at Flushing Meadows for the first time since 2008.

There was more good news for American fans as young starlet Donald Young, who is unseeded, beat Juan Ignacio Chela of Argentina 7-5 6-4 6-3. Young endeared himself to the partisan crowd with an exciting display and he now faces the winner of the night match between Andy Murray and Feliciano Lopez.

Fellow American John Isner proved far too strong for compatriot Alex Bogomolov Jr, recording a 7-6(9) 6-4 6-4 victory. Isner reeled off 48 winners and 17 aces during the impressive third round performance.

There was not such good news for 2009 champion Juan Martin del Potro as he went down 6-4 6-7(5) 2-6 6-7(3) to France's Gilles Simon.

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