Nadal and Ferrer Reach Rio Quarterfinals

February 19, 2016 | By Long Island Tennis Magazine Staff
Nadal_Crop_4
Photo credit: Lee Seidner

Defending champion Rafael Nadal made his way into the Rio Open quarterfinals on Thursday, moving past fellow Spaniard Nicolas Almagro 6-3, 7-5.

Nadal notched the only break of the opening set and won 81 percent of his first serve points to take it 6-3. The second set saw both players struggle on serve with five break points combined. Nadal was unable to serve out the set up 5-4, but he would break right back, and finally closed Almagro out on serve after one hour and 40 minutes.

“I’m feeling better physically,” Nadal said, referring to a stomach ailment which hampered him last week in Buenos Aires. “Last week I had a little problem with my stomach during the whole week, and with the humidity—it was unbelievable. I felt so bad physically. Here I’m feeling much better because the stomach is much better.

That’s the key on the improvement of my game, and the victory helps.”

In the quarterfinals, Nadal will take on Ukraine’s Alexandr Dolgopolov, who came back from a set down to upend Spaniard Inigo Cervantes 3-6, 6-0, 6-3 on Thursday.

 Nadal’s countryman and second-seed David Ferrer also reached the quarterfinals on Thursday, coming back from a set down to beat Albert Ramos-Vinolas 4-6, 6-1, 6-4.

He will face a stiff challenge in the final eight when he squares off with Buenos Aires champion Dominic Thiem.

“He’s a very great player,” Ferrer said of the fifth-seeded Austrian. “He’s young. He’s playing with confidence. He’s going to be a top player, for sure. I like his game and tomorrow is going to be tough.

I’ll have to play my best tennis for a win.”

Argentina’s Guido Pella rolled past Colombia’s Santiago Giraldo 6-4, 6-0 to set up a matchup with Daniel Gimeno-Traver in the quarterfinals. Uruguay’s Pablo Cuevas and Argentina’s Federico Delbonis set up a quarterfinal matchup with each other with straight set wins on Thursday. 


Long Island Tennis Magazine Staff
USTA NTC
Century

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