Pablo Carreño takes the Spanish duel against Bernabé Zapata
BARCELONA, 22 Apr. (EUROPA PRESS) –
The Spanish tennis player Rafa Nadal has beaten the Japanese Kei Nishikori (6-0, 2-6 and 6-2) this Thursday in the round of 16 of the Barcelona Open Banc Sabadell-68 Conde de Godó Trophy, in his second consecutive match paid to the three sets and the British Cameron Norrie will be measured in the quarterfinals.
The current number 3 in the world and the first sword of this tournament that he has won eleven times, started his match like a shot with a quick 6-0 against a Kei Nishikori who was a ‘ghost’, a memory, of that player who was he won the Barcelonans with his victories in the 2014 and 2015 editions, and that he lost the 2016 final to, precisely, Nadal.
Perhaps, for this reason, the Japanese went up several gears at once once that first set was seen on the scoreboard. So much improved Nishikori, who became number 4 in the world in 2015, that he went 1-3 up in the second set, breaking the second serve of the manacorí, and repeating his blow to get 2-5 up and, without hesitation, take advantage of the 40-30 in favor to equalize the match in his first ‘set point’ in favor.
Again, as Belarusian Ilya Ivashka did on Wednesday, Nadal had to go to three sets. To start the third manga, the final one, more suspense. Nadal was 0-40 with his first serve and saved those three breaking balls against to sign five points in a row and avoid that initial ‘scare’. But he had more, as in his second serve, with another ‘break point’ for Nishikori that Nadal saved.
There the game changed, and it was Nadal who went 3-1 up after the second serve from the Japanese. He defended that ‘break’ well and, consolidating his game, despite having to save another breaking ball against him, he sealed his pass to the next round by breaking the last serve of a Nishikori who went to more but could not with Nadal, in a 2:19 hour duel.
The Spanish number 1 will be measured in the quarterfinals against 25-year-old Briton Cameron Norrie, number 58 in the ranking, who did not have to break down to overcome, against all odds, Belgian David Goffin, who retired 3-5 up in the second set, after losing the first set. Norrie, more rested than Nadal, will face a ‘revenge’ since, at the Australian Open last February, he lost to Manacor.
For his part, Stefanos Tsitsipas, who has just won the Masters 1000 in Monte-Carlo, beat an Australian Alex de Minaur in two heats who faced him (7-5 and 6-3) in 1:24 hours of play. In the first set, both defended their serve well in a very even start, without breaking balls, until with 5-6 against, De Minaur only saved the first of the two set balls against, and Tsitsipas took the lead. .
By contrast, in the second set, the Greek brought out his best tennis. The world number 5, second seed of the tournament, continued what was taught in Monte Carlo and, despite starting 0-2 down, came back to break two aces to De Minaur, with whom he already has a 5-0 in favor in the ‘face to face’ in ATP tournaments, and save his service to get into the quarterfinals, where he will face the Canadian Felix Auger-Aliassime, who eliminated his compatriot Denis Shapovalov (6-2, 6-3).
On the Rafa Nadal court, Andrey Rublev – Manacor’s executioner in Monte Carlo – had serious problems to beat the Catalan Albert Ramos-Viñolas, in a match of almost 2 and a half hours (2:27) that the Russian sealed with a 6 -4, 6-7 (4) and 6-4. Tense match, in which Rublev was nervous and paid for his bad moments with his racket. In the end, despite another tie break being touched, Rublev was able to defeat Ramos.
In the first set, the Russian, current world number 7, broke Ramos-Viñolas’ serve on two occasions, the last to achieve 6-4 in his favor on the first of the two set balls he had. In the second sleeve, the local player raised the level, opted for the left and took advantage of Rublev’s mental disconnection to take the ‘tie break’. Some sensations that continued in part of the final set, until 4-4, when Ramos-Viñolas lost his serve and Rublev, after saving four break points, took advantage of his first match point.
Rublev will face the young Italian Jannik Sinner in the quarterfinals, who got rid in this third round of the Godó of the Spanish Roberto Bautista Agut (7-6 and 6-2) in just 2 hours of play. Bautista, the fifth seed of the tournament, could not match the energy of ‘NextGen’ and number 19 in the ranking, who already beat him in Miami this year and has two consecutive victories against Castellón.
The first set was decided in sudden death, where the Italian took advantage of two consecutive errors by Bautista with his serve to get 9-10 and seal his victory. An outcome that made Sinner gain confidence and diminished that of Bautista, who began the second set by giving up his serve and, with 2-4 against, lost it again.
For his part, Pablo Carreño from Gijón completed the day this Thursday with his victory against Bernabé Zapata in the duel between Spaniards. The victory by 6-3 and 6-4, in one hour and 26 minutes, allows the Spaniard to access the quarterfinals, where he meets the Argentine Diego Schwartzman.
– RESULTS OF THE DAY.
PABLO CARREÑO (ESP) to BERNABÉ ZAPATA (ESP) 6-3 and 6-4.
RAFA NADAL (ESP) to Kei Nishikori (JAP) 6-0, 2-6 and 6-2.
Diego Schwartzman (ARG) a Corentin Moutet (FRA) 6-4 y 6-2.
Stefanos Tsitsipas (GRE) to Alex de Minaur (AUS) 7-5 and 6-3.
Andrey Rublev (RUS) to ALBERT RAMOS-VIÑOLAS 6-4, 6-7 and 6-4.
Jannik Sinner (ITA) to ROBERTO BAUTISTA 7-6 and 6-2.
Felix Auger-Aliassime (CAN) a Denis Shapovalov (CAN) 6-2 y 6-3.
Cameron Norrie (GBR) to David Goffin (BEL) 6-0 and 3-5 (ret).
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