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ROME (AP) — Rafael Nadal ended a run of three straight losses to Alexander Zverev with a convincing 6-3, 6-4 win over the German on Friday to reach the Italian Open semifinals.
Zverev had beaten Nadal in straight sets at the same stage in Madrid a week ago but their latest meeting went the Spaniard’s way from the start.
Aiming for a record-extending 10th Rome title, Nadal raced to a 4-0 lead in the first set and saved all eight break points he faced in the second.
“I played more solid than Madrid. Conditions are different,” Nadal said, alluding to the fact that the high-altitude of the Spanish capital allowed Zverev to dominate more with his serve. “Here are little bit more normal conditions. I was able to control a little bit more.”
It was a stark contrast from Nadal’s long three-set comeback win over Denis Shapovalov a day earlier, when the Spaniard saved two match points.
Nadal’s semifinal opponent will be big-serving American Reilly Opelka, who reached his first Masters semifinal with a 7-5, 7-6 (2) win over Argentine qualifier Federico Delbonis.
In the women’s tournament, 2019 Rome champion Karolina Pliskova rallied past 2017 French Open winner Jelena Ostapenko 4-6, 7-5, 7-6 (1) to set up a semifinal against Petra Martic. Martic eliminated Jessica Pegula 7-5, 6-4 for her biggest result since recently hiring former French Open champion Francesca Schiavone as her coach.
The only real moment of concern for Nadal came when he tripped over the service line while running down a drop shot when he was serving for the first set.
The crowd of about 2,500 let out a collective gasp as Nadal tumbled onto the clay and rolled over onto his again wincing in obvious ache.
After placing Nadal’s reply away for a simple winner — the Spaniard nonetheless managed to get the ball over the online — Zverev hopped over the online to examine on the 20-time Grand Slam champion.
Nadal received up, although, dusted himself off and served out the set along with his again and even headband nonetheless coated in clay.
“Some strains are larger than the remainder of court docket, so while you contact the road it’s harmful,” Nadal stated.
Zverev, the 2017 Rome champion and winner of the trophy in Madrid final weekend, had quite a few alternatives to get well from an early break within the second set however Nadal stepped up his sport every time and closed it out on his first match level with a superbly executed serve-and-volley.
“I performed a really stable match, with not too many errors — enjoying the best way that I’ve to,” Nadal stated. “It’s an vital victory for me towards an awesome participant.”
The 6-foot-11 (2.11-meter) Opelka, not beforehand identified for his clay-court tennis, overwhelmed Delbonis with 18 aces to document his fourth straight-set win of the week.
“I’m shocked. Clay just isn’t actually my factor — not a lot of an American factor,” Opelka stated. “It’s most likely only a fluke. However I’m OK with it.”
Opelka additionally saved all 4 break factors he confronted. However it wasn’t simply his serve that made the distinction.
The Forty seventh-ranked Opelka hit a fragile slice volley drop-shot winner within the last sport earlier than the tiebreaker after which produced a troublesome backhand cross-court passing shot to arrange the one match level he wanted.
Opelka entered Rome on a six-match shedding streak that included coping with a bout of COVID-19.
“I want I might use that as an excuse however the first 10 weeks of the yr I simply didn’t play properly. It wasn’t COVID-related in any respect,” Opelka stated. “Clearly after you lose eight weeks in a row, the one factor you wish to do is apply — not get COVID and be caught inside for 2½ weeks. However I assume it labored out.”
Nadal known as it a “huge problem” dealing with Opelka, as a result of the American “has nearly an unreturnable serve.”
“I must be prepared to just accept (surrendering winners),” Nadal stated, “and be affected person on the return.”
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Extra AP Tennis: https://apnews.com/hub/tennis and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports
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Andrew Dampf on Twitter: www.twitter.com/AndrewDampf