Auger-Aliassime makes quick work of Sinner to reach Madrid Open quarter-finals

Montreal's Felix Auger-Aliassime is through to the quarter-finals of the Madrid Open tennis tournament following a lopsided 6-1, 6-2 win over Italy's Jannik Sinner on Thursday.

Auger-Aliassime's serve was effective throughout the third-round match at the clay-court Masters-level event. He fired five aces and won 80 per cent of service points, including 90 per cent on first serve.

Auger-Aliassime, the eighth seed in Madrid, did not face break point, and converted four of the eight break chances he had against 10th-seeded Sinner.

The Canadian took the first meeting between two of the ATP Tours brightest young stars. Auger-Aliassime, 21, came into the tournament ranked 10th in the world, with the 20-year-old Sinner ranked 12th.

WATCH | Auger-Aliassime rolls past Sinner:

Auger-Aliassime will face defending Madrid champion Alexander Zverev of Germany in the quarter-finals. It will be the seventh meeting between the two, with Zverev holding a 4-2 edge in the career head-to-head series.

Zverev, the world No. 3, advanced to the quarters when Italian qualifier Lorenzo Musetti retired from their third-round match trailing 6-3, 1-0.

Meanwhile, Rafael Nadal saved four match points before outlasting David Goffin in three sets to reach the quarter-finals.

Nadal needed more than three hours to win 6-3, 5-7, 7-6 (9) in only his second match after an injury layoff.

Nadal's 1,050th career victory came after Andy Murray withdrew from his match against Novak Djokovic because of a stomach illness.

The fourth-ranked Nadal had beaten the 32nd-ranked Miomir Kecmanovic in straight sets in his opening match at the clay-court tournament, his first after missing six weeks because of a rib stress fracture.

Rafa can do no wrong right now