50 not out: Rafael Nadal breaks 34-year-old record in victory over Diego Schwartzman

Updated 10/05/2018 at 21:14 GMT

Rafael Nadal made it 50 sets without defeat on clay as he brushed Diego Schwartzman aside to reach the Madrid Open quarter-finals.

Rafael Nadal à Madrid.

Image credit: Getty Images

The Spaniard reigned supreme on the red dirt once more as he wrapped up a 6-3 6-4 victory after one hour and 44 minutes on court.

The straight-sets win saw defending champion Nadal beat John McEnroe’s single-surface record of 49 straight sets won, achieved on carpet back in 1984.

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Nadal, aiming for a sixth title in Madrid, needed just the one break to take the first set, and though he did drop serve once in the second, two breaks saw him seal the record-breaking win.

Up next for the world No 1 is Dominic Thiem, who battled from a set down to beat Borna Coric 2-6 7-5(5) 6-4.

Earlier in the day, world No 6 Juan Martin del Potro crashed out after Serbia's Dusan Lajovic came back from a set down to beat the Argentine 3-6 6-4 7-6(6).

[Edmund through to Madrid Open quarter-finals with win over Goffin]

Del Potro looked in complete control as he converted two break-point opportunities to take the opening set but Lajovic, ranked 95 in the world, dug deep to stay in the contest.

A break midway through the second set was enough for Lajovic to force a decider before he wrapped up his first career victory over a top-10 opponent in the tiebreak.

Additional reporting from Reuters

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