Nadal sweeps past Simon in US Open

Rafael Nadal made smooth progress into the fourth round of the US Open with a straightforward win over Gilles Simon.

The first two sets were closely fought but the world number one always had the edge and he ran through the third to complete a 6-4 6-4 6-2 victory and set up a last-16 clash against fellow Spaniard Feliciano Lopez.

The tone was set early on when Nadal broke for a 2-1 lead and he held on to that advantage to close out the set.

The second followed a similar pattern with one break, this time to establish a 4-3 advantage, proving enough.

Nadal was, by now, in full flow and Frenchman Simon, who became a father for the first time 48 hours ago, was unable to respond.

Further breaks in the first and third games of the third set effectively settled the match and with Nadal winning 91% of points when he got his first serve in there was never going to be a way back for his opponent.

Simon did earn his first break point of the match in the final game but Nadal simply upped his game once more to serve it out and clinch a commanding win in one hour and 59 minutes.

Speaking after the match, Nadal commented on the number of Spaniards who have made it to the last 16.

"That is positive news for us, very positive, because I think with the ball and the court here it is probably the most difficult tournament for us," Nadal said.

"I congratulate my friends. Best of luck for everybody."

As for his own form, which has seen him win all three matches in straight sets, Nadal added: "I think I am playing better, a little bit better, every day.

"Today was a solid match, I think. The serve is still good, so that's a very important thing. From the baseline I think my movements and my shots start to improve to be better every day."