PARIS — Five rounds into the French Open, king of clay Rafael Nadal still awaits a serious challenge.

Novak Djokovic hopes to provide it in the semifinals.

Three-time defending champion Nadal matched the most lopsided Grand Slam victory of his career today, defeating fellow Spaniard Nicolas Almagro 6-1, 6-1, 6-1. The drubbing equaled the standard Nadal set in his previous victory, when he lost three games against another Spaniard, Fernando Verdasco.

Nadal was giving the center-court crowd a thumbs-up signal following his triumph shortly after Djokovic completed a much more arduous win on Court Suzanne Lenglen. He needed more than three hours to eliminate childhood friend Ernests Gulbis 7-5, 7-6 (3), 7-5.

The No. 3-seeded Djokovic will face No. 2 Nadal on Friday, with No. 1 Roger Federer looming as a potential opponent for the winner in the final.

Nadal is 26-0 at Roland Garros, but Djokovic is making a mark in the record book, too. The Australian Open champion has reached five consecutive Grand Slam semifinals, joining Federer, Ivan Lendl and Boris Becker as the only men to accomplish the feat in the 40-year Open era.

"He plays at a very high level," Nadal said, "but I also play well."

Federer will face No. 24 Fernando Gonzalez in the men's quarterfinals, and No. 5 David Ferrer will meet unseeded Gael Monfils, the only French player remaining.