Rafael Nadal thrilled by second-round victory at Monte Carlo Masters

Rafael Nadal has described his emphatic victory over Lucas Pouille at the Monte Carlo Masters as his best performance of the year.

The eight-time champion hammered the Frenchman 6-2 6-1 on Wednesday to book his place in the third round of the tournament.

Nadal will now face John Isner for a spot in the quarter-finals.

"Today I played solidly," he told the ATP's official website. "Today I played with no mistakes in a row. I played aggressively when I had to play aggressive. I will go back to the hotel with a fantastic feeling, because I played probably the best match of the year for me... I played with the right mentality, the right concentration."

Nadal suffered a shock quarter-final exit in last year's Monte Carlo Masters, losing to fellow Spaniard David Ferrer.