Favorite Federer, Nadal Power Through at French Open

Posted on May 28, 2005

The marquee match-up between 2005 breakout player Rafael Nadal and French hope Richard Gasquet failed to meet homecountry expectations Friday at the French Open, with Nadal powering past his fellow teen 6-4, 6-3, 6-2 to reach the fourth round at Roland Garros.

"What really bothered me is that he is physically stronger than I am. For instance, he resisted much better than I could with the heat and long rallies," said Gasquet who by the end of the match had wilted in the humidity. "The heat was really a problem. I had a problem to resist the heat during three sets."

World No. 1 Roger Federer also put down an expected challenge with ease Friday, straight-setting No. 25 seed and former Roland Garros junior winner Fernando Gonzalez.

Other seeded winners on the day were former champs (5) Gaston Gaudio (d. Mantilla) and (14) Carlos Moya (d. Spanish countryman Vicente in five after leading 2-0 sets), (10) David Nalbandian (d. (18) Ancic), (20) David Ferrer (d. H.-T. Lee), and (23) Sebastien Grosjean (d. (16) Stepanek in five).

"(The) shoulder is fine. I have no pain at all," Moya said. "The thing is that the muscles around the shoulder are working too much trying to avoid the shoulder to work. So they do more effort than they used to do. So that's what I've been told. I feel like I have no power left when I hit few forehands. Or also with my serve, it was tough for me to serve hard. But besides that, if I could have won in straight sets, so the match was okay."

Moya will next face Federer.

In the only all-unseeded match on the day, Romania's Victor Hanescu rolled Luis Horna in straight sets.

On court Saturday at Roland Garros are (32) Ferrero vs. (3) Safin, (9) Canas vs. Mathieu, (21) Haas vs. (12) Davydenko, (8) Guillermo "El Mago" Coria vs. Jurgen "Tuna" Melzer, (15) Robredo vs. D.Sanchez in an all-Spanish, (28) Kiefer vs. Andreev, Puerta vs. Wawrinka, and out on Court 7, (27) Volandri vs. Acasuso.