Rafael Nadal, Djokovic enter Italian Open quarterfinals

TIL Desk Sports/ Spanish world number 2 Rafael Nadal has moved a step closer to his first ATP Tour title in nine months, routing Georgia’s Nikoloz Basilashvili 6-1, 6-0 in just over an hour to reach the quarterfinals of the Italian Open.

Like many of the competitors in the men’s and women’s singles draws, Nadal played both his second and third round matches on Thursday due to a near-total rainout the day before. But the defending champion barely broke a sweat in either contest.

Just a few hours after brushing aside Frenchman Jeremy Chardy 6-0, 6-1 in 66 minutes, Nadal needed just 62 minutes to dismiss Basilashvili by a nearly identical score. Serbian world number 1 Novak Djokovic, meanwhile, was nearly as dominant as Nadal on Thursday.

The four-time Italian Open champion started his day by defeating Canada’s Denis Shapovalov 6-1, 6-3 and then cruised past Germany’s Philipp Kohlschreiber 6-3, 6-0. He will next take on big-hitting Argentine Juan Martin del Potro, the world No. 9, who won both of his matches Thursday in straight sets.