Nadal returns a shot from between his legs to compatriot Lopez during the US Open tennis tournament in New York in this Sept 7, 2010 combination photo. - Reuters pic

The world number one, who would complete the collection of grand slam titles with a victory at Flushing Meadows, had few problems wrapping up his fourth straight-sets win of this year’s championship.

The start was delayed due to a backlog of matches and did not finish until early today morning, but the result appeared a foregone conclusion from the moment Nadal strolled out to the centre court dressed menacingly in an all-black outfit.

His opponent in tomorrow’s quarter-finals is another Davis Cup team mate, Fernando Verdasco, who advanced the hard way by wearing down David Ferrer 5-7 6-7 6-3 6-3 7-6 after almost four and a half hours on court. — Reuters