TheJakartaPost
Please Update your browser
Your browser is out of date, and may not be compatible with our website. A list of the most popular web browsers can be found below.
Just click on the icons to get to the download page.
Nadal reaches Toronto quarters with win over Wawrinka
Change Size
Rafael Nadal of Spain plays a shot against Stan Wawrinka of Switzerland during a 3rd round match on Day 4 of the Rogers Cup at Aviva Centre on August 9, 2018 in Toronto, Canada. Vaughn Ridley/Getty Images/AFP
Vaughn Ridley / GETTY IMAGES NORTH AMERICA / AFP (AFP/Vaughn Ridley)
A
45-minute rain interruption did little to stop the progress of Rafael Nadal on Thursday at the Toronto Masters as he defeated Stan Wawrinka 7-5, 7-6 (7/4) to reach the quarter-finals.
The halt in proceedings came 63 minutes into the opening set, after Wawrinka saved a Nadal set point for 5-all, with the Spaniard then holding serve for 6-5.
When the weather passed, the pair returned, with Nadal wrapping up the set on his second chance.
The second set was a battle as the Swiss, a three-time Grand Slam champion, fought back from an early break down, took a 2-1 lead, with the pair again trading breaks in the fifth and tenth games.
Nadal came from a mini-break down in the tiebreaker and secured victory on his second match point.
"It was a good match, a very positive victory for me over a tough opponent," Nadal said.
"I'm happy to see Stan playing well again. We had a good quality of tennis.
"I'm very pleased, I needed a match like this. It does much for the confidence."
Nadal's win was his 17th from 20 played against Wawrinka.
Second seed Alexander Zverev, the holder, lined up a re-run of last week's Washington semi-final as he again takes on Stefanos Tsitsipas.
The Greek who turns 20 on Sunday knocked out his second seed in as many matches, stunning Wimbledon champion Novak Djokovic 6-3, 6-7 (5/7), 6-3 to reach the quarter-finals.
Zverev rolled over Russian Daniil Medvedev 6-3, 6-2 in 52 minutes while never facing a break point.
Tsitsipas called his knockout of Djokovic, "the best match of my career. I knew I was playing pretty good today."
The number 27 will play the first Masters 1000 quarter-final of his career.
"He played very well and deserved to win without a doubt," Djokovic said. "I just played not that great.
"I didn't return well. It wasn't that great of a match."
Bulgarian fifth seed Grigor Dimitrov laboured for almost two and a half hours to subdue Frances Tiafoe of the United States 7-6 (7/1), 3-6, 7-6 (7/4).
He next faces Wimbledon runner-up and fourth seed Kevin Anderson who defeated Ilya Ivashka of Belarus 7-5, 6-3 to also make the last-eight.
Sixth seed Marin Cilic continued his quiet progress, beating Argentine 11th seed Diego Schwartzman 6-3, 6-2.
Canadian teen Denis Shapovalov went down to Robin Haase, losing 7-5, 6-2, ending local interest. The Dutch winner will take on Karen Khachanov, who beat eighth seed John Isner 7-6 (7/5), 7-6 (7/1)
