Merciless Nadal storms through
Merciless Nadal storms through 
From correspondents in Paris, France
Former Australian Captain June 01, 2007
TWO-time defending French Open champion Rafael Nadal showed no mercy to Italian qualifier Flavio Cipolla today, sweeping him aside 6-2 6-1 6-4 to reach the third round at Roland Garros.
The world No.2 and No.2 seed, attempting to become the first man to win three successive titles at Roland Garros since Bjorn Borg in 1980, claimed immediate control of the match as he opened a 3-0 lead in the first set.
The Spaniard, 20, was broken at 5-1 but he underlined his determination by capturing Cipolla’s serve immediately to take the set in 34 minutes
The second set was even more one-sided, Nadal going 3-1 up before breaking Cipolla again in the sixth game and serving for the set, which he won with an astute drop shot.
Nadal, whose 81-match winning streak on clay ended at the hands of Roger Federer in the Hamburg final earlier this month, slowed down after an early break but did enough to stay in control until he earned three match points.
He needed only one, hitting a super cross-court forehand winner to end the world No.227’s suffering in under two hours.
Reuters