Rafa Nadal during his match against Botic Van De Zandschulp. | Martin Divisek

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Rafael Nadal is through to the fourth round at the French Open, having beaten the number 26 seed, Dutchman Botic Van De Zandschulp, 6-3, 6-2, 6-4 on Friday.

After a match that took two hours and eleven minutes, Nadal said that he had played his best match of the tournament. "I'm happy to have advanced this far without losing a set," added the number five seed, who had notched up his 108th win at Roland Garros, where he has only ever lost three matches.

In the next round, he will face the ninth seed, Canadian Felix Auger-Aliassime. The match, scheduled for Sunday, will be something of a family occasion, as the Canadian is trained by his uncle Toni. It will be the first time that Nadal has faced a player trained by his uncle, who was his mentor and trainer until 2016, when he handed over to Carlos Moyá.