Rafa Nadal and the other members of the "big four" know a new band of brash youngsters are on the horizon, but the Spaniard showed on Thursday they will not be handing over the keys to the trophy cabinet just yet.

The Spaniard was up against Austrian wunderkind Dominic Thiem in the second round of the French Open, and while the 6-2, 6-2, 6-3 scoreline did not do his opponent justice, Nadal was clearly the master as he took another step towards a record-extending ninth title at the claycourt slam.

World No 1 Nadal raised his game significantly to snuff out any chance of an upset, fending off a mini crisis in the third set when 20-year-old Thiem began to threaten.