Nadal brushes aside Tsonga

Flushing Meadows, New York, 27 August-9 September

Second seed Rafael Nadal made light work of Frenchman Jo-Wilfried Tsonga to reach the last 16 of the US Open.

Tsonga, who beat Tim Henman in the second round, put up a stern challenge in the opening set before Nadal clinched it on a tie-break.

Thereafter, the Spanish world number two, who has been suffering with tendonitis, took control.

He broke twice to take the second and then rattled through the third for a 7-6 (7-3) 6-2 6-1 win.

The 21-year-old Nadal will now play fellow Spaniard David Ferrer.

Fifteenth seed Ferrer came from match point down to beat David Nalbandian and reach the fourth round of the US Open for the first time.

Argentine Nalbandian was a break up in the fourth and fifth sets but each time the Spaniard fought back.

Then 24th seed Nalbandian, who reached the semi-finals in 2003, was broken at 5-5 in the deciding set.

Ferrer then served out for a 6-3 3-6 4-6 7-6 (7-5) 7-6 win and a place in the last 16.

Juan Iganacio Chela held his nerve to defeat 12th seed Ivan Ljubicic in five sets.

The Argentine 20th seed took the first set but lost the second on a tie-break.

Ljubicic took the third set but Chela broke at 4-3 in the fourth to level the match and then swept to a 5-0 lead in the decider, only to be broken twice.

However, the 28-year-old then broke the Croat for a 5-0 lead in the decider to wrap up a 6-4 6-7 (5-7) 2-6 6-3 6-3 win after nearly four hours on court.

Chela will face an unseeded opponent in the fourth round - either American Robby Ginepri or Stanislas Wawrinka of Switzerland.

Source: BBC Sport