Hello! Up now on Court Chatrier on day 9 of Roland Garros is the King of Clay Rafael Nadal facing off against young Serbian Dusan Lajovic. The players have warmed up and play is just about to begin.

NADAL 6-1 6-2 6-1 LAJOVIC. MATCH! It’s finally all over. Lajovic saves his dignity while Nadal speeds through, sealing it with an easy return winner. Everyone is happy. Awaiting in the quarterfinals for Nadal is David Ferrer, otherwise known as the man who has already defeated the King of Clay on his favoured surface this year. Interesting times await.

NADAL 6-1 6-2 5-1 LAJOVIC. BREAK! The comeback is on! An almighty shock echoes around the Ruland Garros grounds as, out of nowhere, Lajovic reels off a series of genuinely impressive winners to break Nadal and avoid the dreaded bagel.

NADAL 6-1 6-2 5-0 LAJOVIC. BREAK! A third straight break flies Nadal’s way as it appears that such a one-sided match will rightfully see a bagel. Still, for perspective, Lajovic has won more games than Nadal’s friend Juan Monaco mustered up in his 6-2 6-0 6-0 battering here in 2012, and Monaco reached the top 10(!)

NADAL 6-1 6-2 4-0 LAJOVIC. Another game, another hold for Nadal. A flurry of errors from Lajovic leave the champion two games away. Nervous times, of course.

NADAL 6-1 6-2 3-0 LAJOVIC. It doesn’t take Nadal long to snatch a second break to love and march to his seat up three games to love. He may well be on his way to winning this match. Possibly.

NADAL 6-1 6-2 2-0 LAJOVIC. Two terrible errors fly from Nadal’s racquet as his attention quite understandably wavers. Lajovic takes this brief respite to produce his best point of the day, drilling a backhand straight down the line. But order is quickly restored as Nadal comfortably consolidates his break.

NADAL 6-1 6-2 1-0 LAJOVIC. BREAK! In more shocking news, Nadal captures another love break at the beginning of set 3 as a Lajovic double fault hands it over to the Spaniard with as little resistance as is humanly possible.

NADAL 6-1 6-2 LAJOVIC. SET! A massive shock is on the cards as three consecutive points fly Lajovic’s way to begin Nadal’s game as the Serb randomly finds himself up a triple break point. After initial shock at such an unbelievable turn of events, Nadal composes himself, saving all three break points before eventually holding serve and moving to within a set of the quarterfinals.

NADAL 6-1 5-2 LAJOVIC. HOLD! Self-preservation has seemingly kicked in as Lajovic slams down 2 aces in the game to eradicate the possibility of another breadstick set and spare his blushes.

NADAL 6-1 5-1 LAJOVIC. The one-game losing streak unsurprisingly doesn’t carry on as Nadal strolls to another hold of serve and puts himself within a game of a 2-0 lead.

NADAL 6-1 4-1 LAJOVIC. HOLD! Nadal loses his very first point of the set after 17 in a row, and the Spaniard once again reacts as if it’s his greatest failure. It all comes tumbling down as the Serb’s pride comes to the fore and he secures his second career hold of serve against the world number one. Beggars can’t be choosers.

NADAL 6-1 4-0 LAJOVIC. Another love game for Nadal, who reels of a few more forehand winners for good measure. Four games into the second set and Lajovic is still awaiting his first point. Golden set watch is officially on.

NADAL 6-1 3-0 LAJOVIC. BREAK! Lajovic elicits a a rare short ball and excitedly approaches the net, only to see a flash of yellow as the ball flies past him. Three more forehand winners reel off the strings of Nadal’s racquet as, for about the first time in his entire career, Nadal seems to be in a hurry to get off the court. The second break falls the champion’s way to love.

NADAL 6-1 2-0 LAJOVIC. In a rare show of actual effort today, Nadal hammers down a trademark brutal forehand winner to hold his serve to love. Even the usually vicious French crowd are humbled in the face of this brutal bloodbath.

NADAL 6-1 1-0 LAJOVIC. BREAK! A new set doesn’t offer Lajovic a new beginning. Before he can blink, he’s staring down the barrel of a 0-40 hole after three errors. On the very first, a backhand flies long as Nadal continues his waltz towards a quarterfinal date with David Ferrer.

NADAL 6-1 LAJOVIC. SET! Nadal dumps an easy volley into the net and then a backhand meeds a similar fate a few points later. However, nothing could possibly stop Nadal from taking the set, and he duly does so.

NADAL 5-1 LAJOVIC. HOLD! At last Lajovic finds his way onto the scoreboard. After Nadal breaks Lajovic’s morale just a little more after winning a series of long rallies, he finds himself up set point only to miss an easy shot and reacts as if he had double faulted down match point. Two points later, Lajovic combines a wide serve with an angled forehand and gets avoids the dreaded bagel.

NADAL 5-0 LAJOVIC. Another game, another barrage of errors from an overwhelmed Lajovic. Nadal shrugs and strolls back to his chair with a 5-0 lead in 20 minutes.

NADAL 4-0 LAJOVIC. The rout continues. Lajovic finds himself in the unfamiliar spot of standing at 30-30, only to get over-excited and send a bounce smash flying to the back fence. Shortly after, Nadal picks up his second break with little effort

NADAL 3-0 LAJOVIC. Lajovic finally stops bashing the ball long enough to construct a beautiful point with angled forehands. He skips into the net to dispatch the easiest short ball of his career, and…smacks the ball closer to the back fence! He laughs at the nerves, but he has little to laugh about as Nadal easily seals another hold and skips to his chair with a three-game lead.