Rafael Nadal moved into the third round of the French Open with consummate ease as he swatted a second German qualifier called Yannick aside.
After Yannick Hanfmann was dispatched, Wednesday saw the turn of Yannick Maden.
Hanfmann won six games, Maden picked up seven. Despite a bit of a wobble in the third set, it was business as usual for the world No. 2.
It’s hard to see who could stop the 11-time champion in his tracks but this has been a rather kind draw for the 32-year-old Spaniard thus far, and he has enjoyed two straightforward straight sets wins.
Despite the routine nature of his draw, John McEnroe believes it virtually doesn’t matter who is lying in wait for the 17-time major winner and named six players who have a chance of causing him a problem.
Three of them, Novak Djokovic, Dominic Thiem and Fabio Fognini are in the opposite side of the draw, while only one of Stefanos Tsitsipas, Stan Wawrinka and Roger Federer will be able to meet him – and only as early as the semi-finals.
‘He looks unbeatable , virtually, but he is about to turn 33,’ John McEnroe told Eurosport during Nadal’s 6-1 6-2 6-4 win when assessing the players who have a shot at beating him.
‘Djokovic, Thiem, Fognini – but they’re in the other side of the draw, Federer on clay? Obviously he respects him. Wawrinka? If he could get his act together, and he seems like he’s heading in the right direction.
‘Tsitsipas has made a lot of progress, I guess you could put him in the mix. That would be about it.
‘I think Djokovic is the only guy who makes him shudder a bit. Still, you’ve got to be 60-40 for Nadal.’
The Spaniard has dropped just 22 sets in 14 years and it’s hard to see him dropping too many before the semi-finals at least.
One potentially tricky opponent Guido Pella crashed out in a shock four-sets defeat to home favourite Corentin Moutet, just to make life that little bit easier for the second seed.
David Goffin did at least perform to his seeding level and will meet Nadal next.
Tsitsipas, meanwhile, advanced to round three after a thoroughly entertaining four sets win against a rare Bolivian export Hugo Dellien.
