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By Richard Pagliaro | Tuesday, March 28, 2017

 
Rafael Nadal

Rafael Nadal won 35 of 38 first-serve points defeating Nicolas Mahut, 6-4, 7-6 (4), setting up a Miami Open quarterfinal vs. Jack Sock.

Photo credit: Miami Open

Airspace above Crandon Park grew a little cluttered today.

A jumbo jet gliding overhead during the tie break prompted Rafael Nadal to pause and gaze at the approaching plane.

More: Nishikori To Face Fognini in Miami Quarterfinals

A soaring Nadal fixed his gaze back on the court and stuck a strong landing.

Continuing his quest for his first career Miami title, Nadal grounded Nicolas Mahut, 6-4, 7-6 (4), advancing to his fourth quarterfinal in five tournaments this season.

Nadal won 35 of 38 first-serve points, did not face a break point, smacked some key passes with ambition and even took the net away from the world’s top-ranked doubles player at times.

A crisp victory sent Nadal into a blockbuster clash with Jack Sock for a semifinal spot.

Earlier, the 13th-seeded Sock overpowered 20-year-old compatriot Jared Donaldson, 6-2, 6-1, in 62 minutes.

Bursting out to a career-best 18-3 start, Sock already has a pair of titles—Auckland and Delray Beach—to this credit this season. Now, the top-ranked American will take his shot at Nadal in a clash of Babolat-sponsored players who can crack heavy, twisting topspin forehands.

The 30-year-old Nadal has won both prior meetings with Sock, including a physical 3-6, 6-4, 6-2 slugfest in the 2015 Beijing quarterfinals.

Facing off for the first time since the 2011 US Open, Nadal and Mahut offered stretches of the classic contrast between the counter-puncher and serve-and-volleyer.

In a high-quality start, both men made their mark early. Mahut singed the sideline holding in the opening game. Nadal knifed a sharp backhand pass sealing his first love hold.

Prior to this Miami surge, Mahut had failed to survive the second round in seven straight tournaments this season. The Wimbledon doubles champion protected his serve with vigor for much of the match.

A slow start in the third round saw a struggling Nadal force-fed a bagel by Philipp Kohlschreiber before fighting past the German in his one thousandth career match. Quicker off the mark today, Nadal stretched for a fine flick forehand pass down the line and held for 3-all with a forehand strike down the opposite sideline.




The nine-time Roland Garros champion loves a target and had one in the net-rushing Frenchman.

Bouncing on his toes, Nadal used his leg thrust crunching a crosscourt forehand for love-30 in the ninth game. Hanging tough on the baseline, Mahut drew even at 30 with a sweeping one-handed backhand only to scatter a forehand down the line to face the first break point of the day.

Sometimes, Nadal’s movement without the ball was pivotal. At times, Nadal crept up on the baseline to challenge second serves, then sometimes dropped into a deeper position.

Dropping back behind the baseline to return a second serve, Nadal dared Mahut to serve-and-volley on a second serve. The Frenchman complied following a slider down the T forward, but bumped a high backhand volley—typically one of his steadiest shots—into net as Nadal broke for 5-4 after 35 minutes.

Cracking a forehand down the line, Nadal sealed the 39-minute opening set winning six of the last seven points.




Varying high, heavy topspin with some flatter blasts into the Frenchman’s one-handed backhand, Nadal kept Mahut off the net for stretches. Still, when Mahut has time to set up for his one-hander it can be a damaging shot. He showed that drilling a one-handed winner down the line holding for 2-1.

Hitting his stride in the fourth game, Nadal carved an ace and cracked another forehand winner to level.

The 35-year-old Mahut hammered an ace out wide capping a love hold in the ninth game then worked through a demanding deuce game snapping his seventh ace for a 6-5 lead.

The four-time Miami finalist handcuffed Mahut serving to the deuce court. Nadal won 21 of 23 points played on his first serve in the second set.

Mahut, who had done so much good work staying in step throughout the set, lost the plot in the tie break. After snatching the early mini-break for 2-1, Mahut was frozen by a Nadal backhand pass then dumped four errors in the next five points.

On his second match point, Nadal slashed an inside-out forehand reaching his ninth quarterfinal in 13 career Key Biscayne appearances.


 

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