Match report

Rafael Nadal © Tennistalk.com
ATP Masters Series Madrid
Quarter final
10/17/08 1 2 Tot
es  Rafael Nadal 6 6 2
es  Feliciano Lopez 4 4 0
Feliciano Lopez © Tennistalk.com

  • Nadal safely through to Madrid semifinals

    10/18/08 2:45 AM | Cheryl Murray
    Rafael Nadal was forced to battle his good friend Feliciano Lopez for the right to advance to Saturday’s semifinals.

    Apparently playing his good friend makes Feliciano Lopez nervous.

    The Lopez who played so spectacularly against David Ferrer and Stanislas Wawrinka was absent on Friday. His first-serve percentage hovered just under fifty percent, a number that is not nearly good enough against a player the caliber of Rafael Nadal.

    Nadal spent the entire first set punishing both the second serve and the backhand of his Davis Cup teammate. The result was a lopsided set, wherein Nadal faced no break points. The world number one got a tidy break of serve and held onto it through the set. Of note was the fact that Nadal came into the match with some pain in his shoulder. His uncle and coach Toni Nadal indicated that his nephew was in quite a bit of pain, but it did not appear to affect his form.

    Lopez got going a little bit in the second set. His crucial first-serve percentage raised to 59% for the set, but he continued to have difficulty with his backhand. Nadal exploited that weakness at every opportunity, the result of which was a late-set break of serve for the Mallorcan. Lopez’s first chances on Nadal’s serve came with Nadal serving for the match. Lopez had two break points (his first of the match), but was unable to convert. Nadal closed out the match in a tidy hour and a half.

    He will take on Gilles Simon in the semifinals on Saturday.

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