The Spaniard showed no mercy to his friend and generational partner, whom he has won in all of their 18 clashes, and finished the match 6-0, 6-1, 7-5 on the center field of Flushing Meadows.
Nadal, who swept the first nine games of the match, only met resistance from Gasquet in an entertaining third set.
The Spaniard, winner of the Australian Open and Roland Garros, remains undefeated this year in 22 matches in Grand Slam tournaments and will now face American Francis Tiafoe, number 26 in the ATP, in the round of 16.
The Spaniard jumped into the Arthur Ashe, the largest in the world, wearing the mark on his nose that he caused himself on Thursday with an accidental racket.
The injury, although it didn’t seem to affect his game, served as a reminder of the two unforeseen battles he had to overcome this week against debutant Rinky Hijikata and veteran Fabio Fognini, who challenged him by taking the first set from him.
It was a tough start to the Grand Slam for the Spaniard, who landed in New York with little filming due to his recent injuries and with his wife, Mery Perelló, pregnant with the couple’s first child, also in the state of mind.
Nadal longed for a match without turbulence and the team lent him a hand by pairing him with Gasquet, a rival he has known since they were both tennis prodigies and with whom he had never lost as a professional.
The Frenchman, 36 years and 15 days younger than Nadal, had not even been able to take one of the last 31 sets they had played since 2008, a streak that now stretches to 34.
This Saturday, in a new chapter of his absolute dominance, Nadal quickly put land in the middle with up to nine consecutive games, with which he took an already unattainable lead of 6-0 and 3-0.
“Rafa” built on the confidence of the previous game, which he knew how to finish sore and dizzy, and for the first time he was seen dictating the points with authority and executing them with precision.
Gasquet was struggling to contain the onslaught and his graceful one-handed backhand wasn’t enough of a threat to his opponent.
Gasquet, who conceded four breaks of serve, only opened his game locker after 70 minutes of play, with the stands standing in celebration.
The Frenchman enjoyed the moment by also raising his arms, and once he accepted his situation, he freed himself mentally and put his best tennis on the table.
Gasquet, who was the great promise of French tennis and came to be seventh in the ATP, broke Nadal’s service for the first time and gave him a pulse that made the audience enjoy the Arthur Ashe court.
Trailing 4-5, the Spaniard put the brakes on Gasquet’s advance and, with a break and his sharp serve, avoided the efforts of a fourth set.
The Spaniard thus strengthens his confidence before entering the decisive week, in which he faces enormous goals in the last Grand Slam of the year.
The Spaniard has his 23rd Grand Slam title within reach, with which he would gain ground in the race with the absent Novak Djokovic (21), and the leadership of the ATP ranking, in possession of Daniil
Source: Ambito
David William is a talented author who has made a name for himself in the world of writing. He is a professional author who writes on a wide range of topics, from general interest to opinion news. David is currently working as a writer at 24 hours worlds where he brings his unique perspective and in-depth research to his articles, making them both informative and engaging.
