By Chris Oddo | Thursday, May 7, 2015
Rafael Nadal eased past Italy's Simone Bolelli to set up a quarterfinal clash with Grigor Dimitrov.
Photos Source: Mutua Madrid Open
It’s taken some time, but Rafael Nadal appears to be ratcheting up his clay-court game in Madrid. The nine-time Roland Garros champion eased past Simone Bolelli of Italy, 6-2, 6-2, on Thursday, and he looked more confident and constructive than he has in some time on his beloved red clay.
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Nadal hit 14 winners against 16 unforced errors, and converted four of five break points to win his fifth straight decision over Bolelli.
Things started slowly for the four-time Madrid champion as Nadal has to save two break points in the second game of the match to avoid falling behind.
But Nadal would stay in step and surge ahead in the fifth game when he broke to love with a vintage inside-out forehand winner that brought the crowd to life.
He would reel off the next three games to claim the set and break in the opening game of the second set when a Bolelli forehand floated wide for one of his 29 unforced errors on the day.
Nadal would secure the double-break lead on a Bolelli double-fault in the fifth game and serve his way to victory from there.
The Spaniard’s win sets up an enticing quarterfinal clash with Bulgaria’s Grigor Dimitrov on Friday. Dimitrov finished off Stan Wawrinka in three sets, notching his third straight win over the Swiss No. 2. Nadal owns a 5-0 lifetime record vs. Dimitrov but the 23-year-old has taken a set off of Nadal in four of their five meetings.
"I know what to expect from him and we all know what I'm going to put out there on the court, which is going to be a great performance," said Dimitrov, according to ATPWorldTour.com. "It's one of those days where I really want to be out there on the court, playing against him on clay.”
Nadal is bidding to win a tournament on clay for the 11th consecutive year, and he is gunning for his 47th career title on clay, which would move him within two of Guillermo Vilas’s 49.
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