RAFAEL NADAL NEEDED just an hour and 48 minutes to ease past Jo-Wilfried Tsonga 6-2 6-3 6-2 and reach the fourth round at Wimbledon.
Nadal found an irksome second-round opponent in Nick Kyrgios, requiring four sets and two tie-breaks to advance, but two-time All England Club semi-finalist Tsonga was far more accommodating.
The French Open champion raced through the first set and then hit top form for a time in the second when Tsonga attempted to dig in on Centre Court.
Serene progress was sealed swiftly in the third and Nadal faces Joao Sousa or Dan Evans next.
Nadal led from the first break opportunity when Tsonga’s forehand narrowly missed the left sideline, with a review agonisingly going against the Frenchman.
There was no immediate sign of a response from Tsonga and instead the opener was concluded on his serve as Nadal stepped on the accelerator.
Tsonga, who missed last year’s tournament following knee surgery, showed skill at the net to stick with Nadal early in the second, but his hard work was undone by an awful double-fault.
It never gets old. 😍
— ATP Tour (@ATP_Tour) July 6, 2019
Another signature @RafaelNadal forehand passing shot to add to the collection. ↩️
🎥: @Wimbledonpic.twitter.com/6wEj2eu1G3
Nadal appeared in no mood to stick around and dominated for a break to love early in the third, with his opponent evidently resigned to his fate.
Another shot went long to see Nadal disappear further into the distance, although his confident, comfortable victory was secured only after Tsonga had played to the crowd with a gutsy hold on a punishing day – the Spaniard having to wait a further game before converting his fourth match point.
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