Nadal cruises into quarterfinals with straight set win

Rafael Nadal posted a statement win here early Wednesday, rolling to a 6-3, 6-4, 6-4 victory over fellow Spaniard Feliciano Lopez in the fourth round.

The No. 1 player in the world is clearly serious about winning the U.S. Open, the only Grand Slam tournament title he does not own.

The win was impressive in that Lopez, the No. 28 seed, had held his own with top-ranked player before. In their seven meetings, Lopez has won twice, including their last meeting in the quarterfinals of the Aegon Championships in London in June.

In this match, however, which began late Tuesday night and ended at 1:16 a.m. Wednesday, Lopez struggled to beat Nadal’s confidence and serve.

Nadal’s service has yet to be broken the entire tournament.

The win means he will face fellow countryman Fernando Verdasco in the quarterfinals. Veredasco won an epic five-setter over David Ferrer on Tuesday.

“He’s a very good player and had an amazing comeback today,” Nadal said. “He’s going to come in with a lot of confidence. I’m going to have to play my best to beat him.”

Only 24 years old, Nadal already owns eight major titles: five at the French Open, two at Wimbledon and one at the Australian Open. He has never, however, been past the semifinals at the U.S. Open. He lost in that round in each of the last two years.

In 2008, Nadal says he was worn out after a long summer that included winning the gold medal at the Beijing Olympics. Last year, when he lost to eventual champion Juan Martín del Potro, he was suffering from an injured abdominal muscle.