ROME — Rafa Nadal produced an "almost perfect" display as he booked a place in the quarter-finals of the Rome Masters with a 6-4 6-4 victory over John Isner on Thursday.
The fourth seed, who has struggled to find his best form this season in the wake of the wrist injury and appendicitis issues that undermined him last year, was imperious against the big-serving American.
He did not face a single break point and won 90 percent of his first-service points.
"I was almost perfect," Nadal told Sky Sports Italia. "It was a good match, I'm satisfied.