Google News
Rafael Nadal had to dig deep to advance into his 16th Madrid Masters quarter-final. The Spaniard faced David Goffin at Caja Magica and prevailed 6-3, 5-7, 7-6 in three hours and nine minutes of entertaining tennis. Rafa saved four match points in the decider's closing stages to emerge at the top and advance into the last eight.
The home favorite had a chance to seal the deal in straight sets, squandering two match points in the second set's games nine and ten and allowing David to steal it and stay in touch. Both players served well in the decider, and the result went back and forth in the tie break before Nadal prevailed 11-9 after denying four match points!
Nadal fired four powerful serves to wrap up the encounter's opening game in style. Goffin sprayed backhand errors to face a break point in game two. He denied it with a forehand winner and brought it home to avoid an early setback after Nadal's forehand mistake.
Rafa held at 15 in the third game, and David closed the next one with a solid drop shot to level the score at 2-2. The Spaniard squandered a game point in game five and netted a routine forehand to find himself 3-2 behind.
Rafa stayed calm and broke back at 15 in the next one after David's two double faults. Nadal netted a backhand in game seven to face another break point, and Goffin squandered it with a loose backhand. The Spaniard secured a break in game eight after forcing the rival's forehand mistake and forged a 5-3 advantage.
Rafa placed a forehand winner in game nine to wrap up the set in style and gain a boost ahead of the second. Goffin kicked off the second set with a hold after deuce. Nadal broke him at love in game three with a backhand down the line winner to open a 2-1 gap and settle into a fine rhythm.
We saw eight commanding holds on both sides, and Rafa forged a 5-3 lead with a service winner. David fended off a match point on serve in game nine after Rafa's wayward backhand and made a crucial hold that kept him alive.
Rafael Nadal prevailed over David Goffin in Caja Magica.
Nadal squandered the second match point on his serve at 5-4 after Goffin's forehand winner and got broken in the worst moment thanks to the Belgian's brilliant volley winner.
David played well on the return at 5-6 and hammered another forehand winner on the second set point to introduce a decider after an hour and 49 minutes. The Belgian saved two break points in the third set's opening game and gained an additional boost to fight against a great rival.
Nadal started all over and served well to keep the pressure on the other side. Rafa held at love in game eight to lock the result at 4-4 and increase the drama. David survived deuce in the ninth game, and Rafa fired another powerful serve for a hold at love a few minutes later.
Goffin held at 15 in game 11, and Nadal responded in the 12th to introduce a tie break. The Belgian sprayed a forehand error in the fourth point and played a loose drop shot in the next one to find himself 4-1 down. David bounced back and reduced the deficit to 4-3 before landing a forehand winner.
Goffin fired another forehand winner to open a 5-4 gap and hit a smash winner for five straight points on his tally and two match points. Rafa saved the first with a service winner and the second after David's loose forehand for 6-6 after three hours!
Goffin earned the third match point at 7-6, and Nadal denied it with a drop shot winner. Rafa placed a forehand crosscourt winner for the third match point, and David erased it with a smash winner for 8-8. Another smash winner created the fourth match point for Goffin, and Nadal saved it with a drop shot winner for 9-9!
The home favorite forced the rival's error for the fourth match point and sealed the deal after David's forehand mistake to celebrate a massive triumph.