Defending champion Rafael Nadal eased past Wimbledon debutant Ryan Sweeting of the United States 6-3, 6-2, 6-4 under the Centre Court roof on Wednesday to reach the last 32. The world number one, bidding for a third title and 11th career Grand Slam crown, goes on to tackle Luxembourg’s Gilles Muller, who beat him here in 2005. “I played well. I had the match under control at 2-1, 40-0 in the third set but then made a few mistakes,” said the Spaniard, who added he preferred to play without the £80 million roof covering the action. “This is the best court in the world. It’s a pleasure always to play here. It’s a new experience under the roof but I prefer to play with no roof, that’s for sure.”
Six-time French Open winner Nadal had already defeated Sweeting twice this year for the loss of just eight games and he was never in danger on Wednesday. He raced through the first set courtesy of a break in the fourth game and he was just as dominant in the second, breaking in the first and third games before wrapping it up with his 11th ace of the tie. By that stage the Spaniard had surrendered just eight points on his serve to the world 69.
Sweeting had shown his fighting spirit in the first round when he had been just two points from defeat against Spain’s Pablo Andujar and he called on that doggedness to retrieve another break to level at 2-2 in the third. But Nadal stepped it up, broke for 4-3 and took the match with a sweet volley.
