Top-seeded Rafael Nadal survived another three-setter Thursday, advancing to the quarterfinals at the Barcelona Open in Spain with a 6-0, 2-6, 6-2 victory against Japan’s Kei Nishikori.
The 11-time Barcelona champion, who rallied from a set down a day earlier to beat Ilya Ivashka of Belarus, saved 11 of 13 break points and eliminated Nishikori in two hours and 19 minutes. The Spanish star’s next opponent will be Britain’s Cameron Norrie, who was leading 6-0, 3-5 when No. 8 David Goffin of Belgium retired (right leg).
No. 3 Andrey Rublev of Russia outlasted Spain’s Albert Ramos-Vinolas 6-4, 6-7 (4), 6-4. No. 2 Stefanos Tsitsipas of Greece was a 7-5, 6-3 winner over No. 14 Alex De Minaur of Australia. In an all-Canadian clash, No. 10 Felix Auger-Aliassime defeated No. 7 Denis Shapovalov 6-2, 6-3. No. 11 Jannik Sinner of Italy ousted No. 5 Roberto Bautista Agut of Spain 7-6 (9), 6-2. Also advancing were No. 4 Diego Schwartzman of Argentina and No. 6 Pablo Carreno-Busta of Spain.
Serbia Open
Argentina’s Federico Delbonis eliminated home favorite and fourth-seeded Dusan Lajovic 6-3, 2-6, 6-4 to reach the quarterfinals in Belgrade, Serbia.
Lajovic fought off five match points before Delbonis closed out the two-hour, 24-minute match. He will face Taro Daniel of Japan, who rallied for a 3-6, 6-2, 6-3 upset of No. 7 seed John Millman of Australia.
No. 3 Aslan Karatsev of Russia eliminated Aljaz Bedene of Slovenia 6-3, 4-6, 7-6 (5). Italy’s Gianluca Mager was a 7-5, 6-2 winner against Australia’s Alexei Popyrin.
(Field Level Media)
