Rafael Nadal on Wednesday battled past big-hitting American Reilly Opelka 7-6 (7/3), 7-6 (7/5) to push his record for the year to 18-0 and reach the quarter-finals of the BNP Paribas Open.
The 35-year-old Spaniard, who won a record-setting 21st Grand Slam title at the Australian Open in January and lifted the trophy in Acapulco last month, stayed on track for a fourth title in California.
He had all he could handle from the 2.11m American, including a raft of serves that topped the 225kph mark and had Nadal’s back against the wall — literally.
Photo: AFP
“I manage it so-so,” he said of Opelka’s serve, which the Spaniard stood as far back in the court as possible to receive. “I don’t know if the cameras can follow me like 10m behind the baseline.”
Nadal became just the second player to start a season 18-0 since the ATP Tour launched in 1990. Novak Djokovic has done it twice, starting 41-0 in 2011 and 26-0 in 2020.
The Spaniard was yesterday to face Australian Nick Kyrgios, who advanced on a walkover when Jannik Sinner withdrew due to illness.
Nadal was followed into the quarter-finals by 18-year-old compatriot Carlos Alcaraz, who notched another breakthrough with a 7-5, 6-1 victory over 35-year-old Gael Monfils of France.
Cameron Norrie overcame a second-set rally bid from rising US talent Jenson Brooksby, who took a 3-0 lead in the second set only for Norrie to charge back to win 6-2, 6-4.
In women’s action, former world No. 1 Simona Halep and third seed Ita Swiatek booked a semi-final showdown with a pair of lopsided victories.
Romania’s Halep, a two-time Grand Slam champion and winner at Indian Wells in 2015, needed just 53 minutes to dispatch Croatian Petra Martic 6-1, 6-1.
Poland’s Swiatek swept past American Madison Keys 6-1, 6-0 in 56 minutes. It was a welcome change of pace for Swiatek, who had to rally from a set down in each of her first three matches.
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