As per usual, things are falling nicely into place for Rafael Nadal at Roland Garros.
The 10-time French Open champion is three matches away from an unprecedented 11th title on the Parisian clay, following a typically routine win over world number 70 Maximilian Marterer.
The 22-year-old German, who was competing in his first French Open main draw, didn't disgrace himself during a 6-3 6-2 7-6 (7-4) defeat which lasted two hours and 30 minutes.
Even so, he was never likely to threaten Nadal's supremacy on the Philippe Chatrier court, despite an admirable effort to force a third set tie-break.
Following a first-round battle against Italian Simone Bolelli, who had a set point against Nadal, the top seed never looked threatened against world number 78 Guido Pella or Frenchman Richard Gasquet - a player Nadal has never lost to in 15 meetings.
It means the Spaniard is still on track to win his fourth French Open without dropping a set.
Marterer was similarly dispatched, as Nadal moved through to a last eight clash with Diego Schwartzman, who came from two sets down to defeat giant South African Kevin Anderson, however the diminutive Argentine has taken just one set off Nadal in their five previous matches.
Looking further ahead, Nadal could face a tougher test against Juan Martin Del Potro or Marin Cilic in the semi-finals, but it's hard to see how anyone can trouble the 16-time major winner on this surface.
Nadal storms ahead after difficult start
Marterer, a relative unknown before his run to the third round in Australia at the start of the year, went toe to toe with Nadal for the first five games, catching the Spaniard off guard with an array flat and powerful ground strokes.
He even broke Nadal's serve in the opening game of the match, following a fortunate dead net cord and a double fault from the Spaniard.
However, after an impressive start from the German, Nadal quickly acclimatised to his opponent's game, winning five games in a row from 0-2 down before closing out the first set.
Marterer barely got a sniff after falling a break behind in the opening game of the second.
Nadal landed 71 per cent of his first serves in that set, and after landing a barrage of winners at the start of the match, the German hit just three in the entirety of the second set.
Marterer shows he's one to watch
Marterer, who based on this performance will be a player to watch out for in years to come, continued to throw the kitchen sink at Nadal in a high-quality and competitive third set.
The German broke Nadal for the second time to go 3-1 ahead, after three surprising forehand errors from the top seed.
Despite breaking back immediately, Nadal couldn't shake off the young tyro, who deservingly forced a third set tie-break.
Marterer stole an early lead in the breaker after finding the line with a swashbuckling forehand following a deft drop shot.
Even so, Nadal soaked up the pressure and power his opponent hurled at him, winning six of the next eight points to seal the match in straight sets.
Kasatkina ends Wozniaki's run
Earlier in the day, Caroline Wozniaki, the Australian Open champion and second seed in the women's draw, was sent packing by 21-year-old Russian Daria Kasatkina.
Proceedings had been stopped at 3-3 in the second set on Sunday night, after Kasatkina had taken the opener on the Philippe Chatrier court.
The resumption lasted just three games, though, as the 14th seed secured a 7-6 (7-5) 6-3 victory to reach her first grand slam quarter-final, where she will face US Open champion Sloane Stephens.
There were no such problems for world number one Simona Halep, who defeated 16th seed Elise Mertens of Belgium 6-2 6-1 in a paltry 59 minutes.
Halep, the runner-up at Roland Garros in 2014 and 2017, will face Germany's Angelique Kerber in the last eight.