World number five Rafael Nadal has proceeded to the round of 16 after messing up Botic van de Zandschulp in a straight-sets win, yesterday, May 27, 2022.
Nadal, 35, had scheduled the third round tie with the Dutch after he defeated French Corentin Moutet 6-3 6-1 6-4 in the second round of the Grand slam event at Philippe-Chatrier.
Following the above, the 13 times French Open champion replicated the same feat against Botic van de Zandschulp at Court Suzanne Lenglen to cart home a 6-3 6-2 6-4 victory, which propels him closer to a quarterfinal clash with the top seed and defending champion, Novak Djokovic.
Meanwhile, Italian Open champion, Novak Djokovic saw off Aljax Bedene to a stunning defeat in the third round to book a round of 16 clash with world number 16 Diego Sebastián Schwartzman. The 34-year-old Serbian whose first championship victory in his turbulent 2022 tennis campaign was at the Italian Open, won straight sets 6-3 6-3 6-2 at Philippe-Chatrier to displace the world number 195 Slovenian.
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Both Nadal and Djokovic have been in perfect form at the French Open and edge closer to their unavoidable quarter-final showdown in Roland Garros. The Spaniard, in the round of 16, is scheduled to face Canadian Felix Auger Aliassime who is ranked 150 in the world. A win for Nadal sets him up with the defending champion and world number one, Novak Djokovic, who defeated him at the 2021 French Open championship in the semi-final.
However, the duel between Nadal and Aliassime will somewhat have a similar tactical approach because Toni Nadal, who happens to be Rafael’s uncle and his former trainer during his teenage age is part of his opponent’s coaching crew.
Reacting to the development, the unperturbed Nadal, who revealed that he spoke with his uncle immediately after his victory over Botic van de Zandschulp, added that his least of worries. “He’s my uncle. I don’t think he will be able to want me to lose, without a doubt, but he’s a professional and he’s with another player,” Nadal said.
“I don’t know what’s going to happen, if he’s going to stay in the box or not, but I don’t care. I have zero problems with that. So it’s not a story at all for me. I know what’s the feeling that we have for each other. “I know he wants the best for me,” Sky Sports reported.
In a bid to dazzle down the erupting tension, Aliassime stated that Toni will have to watch from the sidelines on neutrality. He noted that right from the time he started working with Nadal’s uncle, he knew this would occur someday.
Alias some said, “I think Toni will watch from a neutral place and enjoy the match. “It was black and white from the first time we started working together, we knew it was a possibility that eventually I would play Rafa when I’m working with Toni,” he added.
Consequently, if Nadal wins Aliassime, the Spaniard will have to play the winner of the duel between Novak Djokovic and Diego Sebastián Schwartzman.
