Nadal swats aside Pella to reach French Open third round
Top seed Rafael Nadal dispatched the unseeded Argentine Guido Pella 6-2 6-1 6-1 on Thursday to set up a third round clash with the hometown hero Richard Gasquet.
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Nadal, who is seeking an 11th title at the French Open, struggled at times against Simone Bolelli in the first round. But he was back to his brutal best.
Nadal and Gasquet, who are both 31, have met 15 times on the senior tour and the Spaniard has won each of the encounters. "I have a great relationship with him always, since we were kids," said Nadal.
"We met each other for the first time when we were 12. First thing is he's a very good person. He's a very normal guy. We practiced hundreds of times together. He came to Mallorca.
"He's one of the guys on the tour that creates good atmosphere. He always has a positive attitude.
"I like him a lot and it will be a good match against a good friend in the most important place in my career, and for him a very special place, too."
The pair were seen as two of the best young players in the world when they launched their professional careers. But it is Nadal who has emerged as the legend with 16 Grand Slam titles. He has won a record 10 French Open titles as well as crowns at the other Grand Slam venues in Melbourne, London and New York.
Gasquet has never reached a major final.
The pair first’s match on the senior tour came in the 2005 Monte Carlo Masters semi-finals. Nadal fought back from a set down en route to the title.
"We both represented the new generation at the time," remembered Nadal. "He was doing a bit better than I was. That's why there was a lot of expectations from the match."
Saturday’s contest will be the first time the two have played in a Grand Slam tournament since the 2013 US Open semi-finals. Nadal overpowered Gasquet 6-4 7-6 6-2 before beating Novak Djokovic in the final.
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