By Richard Pagliaro | Thursday, May 17, 2018
Rafael Nadal dissected Denis Shapovalov, 6-4, 6-1, setting up a blockbuster Rome quarterfinal vs. theatrical Italian Fabio Fognini.
Photo credit: Mutua Madrid Open Facebook
Revenge isn't a motivational force for Rafael Nadal, but he certainly revels in rematches.
Nine months after a then 143rd-ranked Denis Shapovalov shocked Nadal on Montreal's hard court, a ruthless Nadal restored order on Rome's red clay today.
Nadal: Golf's Lesson For Tennis
Nadal won 15 straight points on serve in the first set and reeled off four consecutive games to close the second stomping Shapovalov, 6-1, 6-4.
Setting the tone with a stinging serve, Nadal served 84 percent and won 31 of 34 points played on his first serve, improving his 2018 record to 20-2, including a 16-1 mark on his favored red clay.
The Eternal City has been a site of ceaseless success for the seven-time champion, who raised his Rome record to 53-6 as he aims for his 10th trip to the final in the last 13 years.
Continuing his quest to regain the world No. 1 ranking, Nadal advanced to tomorrow's quarterfinal clash with theatrical Italian Fabio Fognini.
The 30-year-old Fognini continued his career-best Rome run sweeping Peter Gojowczyk, 6-4, 6-4, to roll into the Internazionali BNL D'Italia quarterfinals for the first time.
Shapovalov is a shot maker with a flair for creating acute angles and sending opponents into obscure areas of the court. From the opening game, Nadal stressed the teenager's serve earning eight break points in the Canadian's first two service games.
To his credit, Shapovalov stood tall sliding an ace and creating a slick serve and volley play that helped him deny five break points navigating an 11-minute hold for 2-1.
Dangerous on return, Nadal was dominant on serve. The 31-year-old Spaniard stamped his second straight love hold.
By then, Nadal had won three times as many baseline exchanges as Shapovalov was delving into the frontcourt in an effort to shorten points.
Persistent pressure from the seven-time champion finally caused the Canadian to crack. Nadal converted his ninth break point, breaking for 4-3 when Shapovalov plastered a backhand into net.
Nadal reeled off 15 straight points on serve until missing a backhand into the eighth game, but quickly recovered consolidating for 5-3 after 41 minutes.
Charging forward again, Nadal drew a netted error serving out the 49-minute opener at 15.
Serving with accuracy and variety, Nadal barely gave the teenager a look at a second serve. The top seed served 86 percent and won 22 of 22 points played on his serve in the first set.
Shapovalov's struggles were exacerbated by a horrid start to the second set.
The 19-year-old left-hander double faulted away a love break. Nadal backed up the break with a love hold streaming through eight straight points for 2-0.
Sliding his second ace down the T, Nadal stretched the lead to 3-1 then exploited the Canadian's mental lapse. Shapovalov built a 40-love lead in the fifth game and thought he'd held when chair umpire Mohamed Lahyani over-ruled in his favor. But the umpire's inspection of the ball mark showed it was out.
Shapovalov lobbied for a first serve but did not get it as Nadal roared back to break again.
A final forehand from Shapovalov sailed long as Nadal completed a clinical dissection in one hour, 22 minutes setting up a marquee match with Fognini, who has toppled Gael Monfils, Madrid finalist Dominic Thiem and Gojowczyk in succession.
The Nadal vs. Fognini rivalry has been both edgy and exhilarating.
In a rematch of the 2017 Miami Open semifinals, Nadal fought off Fognini, 7-6 (3), 3-6, 6-4, in a wildly entertaining Madrid Open triumph last May.
It was Nadal’s fourth consecutive victory over the animated Italian and his emotive eruption on match point showed how much it meant to him.
Since Fognini made history becoming the first man to fight back from a two-set deficit in a major to defeat Nadal at the 2015 US Open, the king of clay has won their last five meetings taking a 10-3 lead in their head-to-head series.
Fognini's last clay-court victory over Nadal was a straight-sets triumph at the 2015 Barcelona.
Pablo Carreno Busta broke serve seven times defeating Aljaz Bedene, 6-4, 6-7 (3), 6-2. It was Carreno Busta's first win in three Tour-level meetings with Bedene as he plays for his second Masters semifinal of the season following his Miami Open semifinal appearance.
The 10th-seeded Spaniard will play Australian Open finalist Marin Cilic next. The fourth-seeded Croatian conquered Benoit Paire, 6-3, 6-4.
Former US Open champion Cilic has won both prior encounters with Carreno Busta, including a four-set win at the Australian Open in January.