By Chris Oddo | Thursday October 5, 2017
Rafael Nadal kept his winning way alive with a strong performance against rising Russian Karen Khachanov to book his spot in the China Open quarterfinals on Thursday in Beijing.
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Nadal picked up his tour-leading 58th win with a comprehensive 6-3, 6-3 victory, his second of the season against the rising Russian.
The win was not without complication as Nadal needed to save three break points in each set against the hard-hitting 21-year-old. Nadal was particularly effective against Khachanov’s second serve and was able to win 11 of 14 such points, and he broke serve three times on ten opportunities, earning a single break in the opening set and a double break in the second set.
Khachanov fell behind by a break in the fourth game of the opening set but he held serve in the next two games to force Nadal to serve it out. The Spaniard held at love to claim the opener.
Khachanov had a double-break point for a 2-0 lead in the second set but Nadal was up to the task, saving those two and another later in the game to hold for 1-all.
Nadal broke in the next game for 2-1 and he would later break in the final game of the match when Khachanov double-faulted on match point.
Nadal saved two match points in his first match in Beijing against Lucas Pouille, and he will next face American John Isner in the quarterfinals. Isner took down Argentina’s Leonardo Mayer, 6-0, 6-3.
No.2-seeded Alexander Zverev (d. Fognini) and Russian Andrey Rublev (d. No.7 Berdych) were also winners on Thursday in Beijing. Friday’s quarterfinals shape up as follows: