Three-times champion Rafael Nadal [Images] muscled his way into the fourth round of the French Open with a 6-1, 6-3, 6-1 demolition of Finn Jarkko Nieminen on Friday.

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The Spaniard, bidding to emulate Bjorn Borg by winning a fourth consecutive title at Roland Garros, will face either Russian 15th seed Mikhail Youzhny or Spaniard Fernando Verdasco, seeded 22nd, for a place in the quarter-finals.

World number two Nadal, who has now won all of the 24 matches he has played on the Paris clay, was simply too strong for the brave Nieminen.

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The Mallorcan went 0-40 down on his serve in the third game but staved off four break points to gain the psychological edge on Nieminen, who was seeking to reach round four for the second time.

He went on to win seven games in a row, including a series of 11 points, to find himself a break up in the second set.

Nieminen, however, broke straight back and celebrated excitedly with the crowd.

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He held on until 3-3 but with Nadal pulling him wide with his top-spin forehand, he succumbed and dropped the set.

There was a flicker of hope for Nieminen when Nadal received treatment for blisters on his right foot at the change of ends before the third set but the Spaniard, who was on court for the fourth successive day, was unbothered by the pain and broke in the fourth game when a resigned Nieminen netted a backhand.

Nadal, a winner in Monte Carlo and Hamburg this year, then unwinded to win three games in a row, ending Nieminen's tough day on his third match point after one hour and 58 minutes.

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