French Open

Nadal sets up Ferrer quarter-final

ESPN staff

June 2, 2014

Rafael Nadal won his 10th, 11th and 12th straight sets of this year's French Open © Getty Images

Enlarge

Last year, Rafael Nadal and David Ferrer met in French Open final - a match the world No.1 won in straight sets for his fourth Roland Garros crown in a row and eighth overall.

This time around, the Spanish compatriots and good friends will square off in the quarter-finals after both came through very different fourth-round matches on Monday.

LIVE - French Open

Follow every point at Roland Garros in ESPN's CourtCast

Nadal swept aside Dusan Lajovic with minimal fuss in a 6-1 6-2 6-1 victory on Court Philippe Chatrier.

Nadal breezed through the first set and then won five of the first seven games of the second set to love, before Lajovic won seven points in a row to set up his first break points. But the Serbian failed to take any of them and Nadal battled back from love-40 down to see out the set.

Lajovic, 23, did finally get one break under his belt as Nadal failed to serve out the third set at 5-0, but it proved a mere blip as Nadal broke straight back to win his 12th straight set in this year's tournament.

Ferrer knocked Nadal out of this year's Monte Carlo Masters in the quarter-finals, and Nadal knows he is taking on a tricky opponent.

"I think that I am playing a little bit better than when I was playing against him in Monte-Carlo, but I think he's playing great, too," Nadal said.

"He's coming to the match with confidence and with confidence that he beat me the last time. It will be a tough one. I know how to play against him and to have chances to win I need to play very well. That's what I'm going to try. If not, it will be impossible."

Ferrer was given a slightly tougher time by South African Kevin Anderson, dropping the third set in a tie-break before going on to complete a 6-3 6-3 6-7(5) 6-1 victory to reach his tenth consecutive grand slam quarter-final.

"It was really tough," Ferrer said. "Kevin played a really good match [but] I'm happy I'm in quarter-finals.

Turning his attention to his next opponent, Ferrer added: "I try always for revenge of Rafael. He beat me many times, more times than I beat him."