By Chris Oddo | Friday October 9, 2015
Rafael Nadal reached his first hard-court semifinal in over 18 months as he downed American Jack Sock, 3-6, 6-4, 6-3, at the China Open.
Safarova Training Again, Preparing to Make Comeback at Linz
The victory marks the Spaniard’s first victory in a hard court quarterfinal in six tries—he had not reached a hard-court semifinal since the 2014 Sony Open in Miami.
Nadal fell behind the 23-year-old American quickly, double-faulting on Sock’s third break point of the opening set to fall behind 2-1. Sock would control the court and the play in the first set, hitting 14 winners to only three for Nadal, and he broke again to seal the set when Nadal again double-faulted, this time on set point.
But things quickly turned around for the third-seeded Spaniard as he broke in the opening game of the second stanza. He would keep his nose in front of the American while managing to play more authoritative tennis, producing back-to-back love holds to lead 5-3.
Two games later Nadal nearly buckled under the pressure while serving for the set as he botched a makeable volley to give Sock a break point at 5-4, 30-40, but the 2005 Beijing champion quickly rebounded to win the final three points and take the set.
Nadal would score the critical break in the third set, breaking on his second break point after fighting off some aggressive forehands by Sock to finally draw the forehand error from the American.
Nadal wouldn't need to serve the match out. He broke again in Sock’s next service game, closing affairs when the American sailed a forehand.
Nadal finished with 19 winners against 25 unforced errors for the match, but he did hold the edge in winners over Sock in the final two sets by 16 to 15. Sock finished with 29 winners and 35 unforced.
Nadal advances to face Fabio Fognini in the Beijing semis. The Italian defeated Pablo Cuevas, 6-1, 2-6, 6-2. Fognini owns the edge over Nadal this season, having taken three of four meetings with Nadal.
The Spaniard improves his record to 48-15 on the season, an 17-7 on hard courts.