ROGERS CUP TENNIS NEWS – RAFAEL NADAL TO TAKE ON KEI NISHIKORI

Written by: Staff on 14th August 2015

ROGERS CUP TENNIS NEWS - RAFAEL NADAL TO TAKE ON KEI NISHIKORI |

“”I want to focus on my single match. I’m more worried about playing my next opponent than the doubles.” -#rafaelnadal #couperogers #nadal” – Photo by @rafanadalvg via Instagram.

Three-time former champion Rafael Nadal has safely advanced to the Rogers Cup quarter-finals with a 6-3, 6-3 victory over Mikhail Youzhny on Thursday night.

The No. 7 seed did not drop serve throughout, finishing with 20 winners to the Russian’s 14, sealing the match after one hour and 42 minutes. Nadal arrived in Montreal in form after a disappointing second-round Wimbledon exit, winning his third title of the season on the clay in Hamburg.

By contrast, former World No. 8 Youzhny had not won back-to-back matches since Zagreb in February, but had won through two rounds of qualifying in Montreal before taking down Viktor Troicki and Gilles Simon. He had beaten Nadal four times in their 16 prior encounters and the Spaniard admitted – despite the seemingly straight-forward scoreline – his opponent was playing at a level well above what his current ranking of World No. 107 would suggest.

“When he’s playing like this, of course his ranking is much higher,” Nadal said. “He’s having a tough year, but he play great here. When a player like him is playing well, is very dangerous. Winning four matches already in this tournament. If he can play like this, for sure he will finish the season in a higher position in the ranking. No doubt of that. Was a positive victory for me. I think I played great because he was playing at a good level of tennis.”

The Spaniard took the first set on his third set point, securing the double break when the Russian pushed a forehand long. Youzhny saved a break point with a forehand winner down the line after being dragged well wide at 3-4 in the second set, but Nadal converted on his third opportunity when his opponent nudged a backhand wide.

“Rafa def. Youzhny 63 63 and will face Nishikori. If he reaches to semis, he will advance to No. 7″ – Photo by @fedalpova via Instagram.

He was serving considerably faster than during his recent title run in Hamburg – a shoulder complaint he said had now gone.

“It’s not a problem anymore,” Nadal said. “I don’t have pain anymore in the shoulder. But during the Hamburg tournament I couldn’t serve very well. I was just trying to put serves in, very slow speed. But happy the way I served today. I think I was serving very well tonight.”

Nadal served out the match when Youzhny’s backhand return clipped the net, booking a showdown with No. 4 seed Kei Nishikori after the top-ranked Japanese player saw off Belgian No. 13 seed David Goffin, 6-4, 6-3.

Nishikori broke for 2-1 in the opening set when Goffin dumped a forehand into the net and saved a break point when serving for the set. He would secure the sole break of the second set when his 24-year-old opponent threw in his third double fault for 4-3. He brought up match point with his 10th ace and sealed it on another Goffin error.

( Courtesy of the ATP and Original Link – http://www.atpworldtour.com/en/news/montreal-2015-thursday-nadal )

Topics: Atp World Tour, Kei Nishikori, Montreal, Rafa Nadal, Rogers Cup, Sports, Tennis News

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10sBalls_com says:

August 14, 2015 at 9:46 am

-@rogerscup #TENNIS NEWS – @RafaelNadal TO TAKE ON @keinishikori- http://t.co/KJwy9NKlSS #RogersCup #Montreal #Nadal #Nishikori
3peakcoaching says:

August 14, 2015 at 9:49 am

RT @10sBalls_com: -@rogerscup #TENNIS NEWS – @RafaelNadal TO TAKE ON @keinishikori- http://t.co/KJwy9NKlSS #RogersCup #Montreal #Nadal #Nis…