Relentless Nadal coasts into long-awaited Wimbledon quarter-final

Rafael Nadal cruised into his first Wimbledon quarter-final for seven years with a comfortable straight-sets demolition of Jiri Vesely.

The world number one started the second week with a domineering display on Centre Court, winning 6-3 6-3 6-4 on Monday.

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Nadal has not dropped a set in his first four matches at the All England Club, where the 93-ranked Vesely had no answer to the brilliance of the 17-time grand slam champion.

Second seed Nadal lost a mere seven points on serve in the first two sets, struck 37 winners and barely put a foot wrong, comfortably sealing a last-eight meeting with Juan Martin Del Potro or Gilles Simon.

There was just the one break point in the opening set and it proved to be decisive, the unseeded Vesely gifting Nadal a 3-1 lead with a costly double fault. 

The Spaniard, eyeing back-to-back major titles following his 11th French Open triumph, conceded only two points behind his serve in an opening set which he served out with ease.

Nadal maintained his typically aggressive approach and was leaping while punching the air after a blistering return whistled past Vesely to put him a break up at 3-2 in the second set. 

A magnificent sliced backhand winner put the two-time Wimbledon champion a set away from the quarter-finals, but a rare unforced error from Nadal handed Vesely a first break. 

Nadal broke straight back to level it up at 3-3 and brought the crowd to life with a tweener before unleashing a sublime forehand to raise the decibels once again. 

The imperious Nadal got the job done in straight sets once again, Vesely drilling a backhand just wide to bow out.

STATISTICAL BREAKDOWN  

Nadal [2] bt Vesely 6-3 6-3 6-4