RAFAEL NADAL CRUISES PAST JACK SOCK, TO FACE FOGNINI IN MIAMI OPEN TENNIS 2017 SEMIFINALS

Written by: Staff on 30th March 2017

RAFAEL NADAL CRUISES PAST JACK SOCK, TO FACE FOGNINI IN MIAMI OPEN TENNIS 2017 SEMIFINALS

epa05878201 Rafael Nadal of Spain in action against Jack Sock of the USA during their quarterfinal match at the Miami Open tennis tournament on Key Biscayne, Miami, Florida, USA, 29 March 2017. EPA/RHONA WISE |

By Ricky Dimon

Rafael Nadal scored a 6-2, 6-3 victory over Jack Sock in the Miami Open quarterfinals on Wednesday night. Nadal needed only one hour and 23 minutes to set up a showdown in the final four against Fabio Fognini.

But as the sixth-ranked Spaniard admitted to Brad Gilbert during his post-match, on-court interview, the contest was–or at least should have been–much closer than the scoreline suggested. Although the first set was every bit as lopsided as the 6-2 margin indicates, Sock had plenty of opportunities in the second. The American was a combined 1-for-9 on break points in set two–1-for-7 on his chances and 0-for-2 trying to save them on his own serve.

Jack Sock of the USA in action against Rafael Nadal of Spain during their quarterfinal match at the Miami Open tennis tournament on Key Biscayne, Miami, Florida, USA, 29 March 2017. EPA/RHONA WISE

Sock appeared to be in line for a 3-0, double-break lead when he took control of a point with Nadal serving at 0-2, ad-out. Having already blown two break points in that game, Sock botched an easy backhand volley. Nadal ended up holding serve on the way to taking six of the match’s last seven games.

“I think I was under control during the whole first set,” the fifth seed reflected. “In the second set, it was so important to save that game at 0-2, 15-40, and then get the break back in the next game. It was two positive things in two straight games that probably created a lot of damage to him.

“It was the key of the match, to save that game with 0-2 in the second, 15-40. That made the difference.”

On Friday, Nadal and Fognini will be facing each other for the 11th time in their careers. Nadal leads the head-to-head series 7-3, including 3-1 on hard courts. That is not a particularly bad record for Fognini, though, and it has been even better for the Italian in recent times. He is a level 3-3 in their last six matchups, a stretch that includes a stunning 3-6, 4-6, 6-4, 6-3, 6-4 comeback in round three of the 2015 U.S. Open. Nadal has since won two in a row against Fognini; 7-5, 6-3 during the 2015 fall swing in Beijing and 6-2, 7-6(1) on the clay courts of Barcelona last year.

In addition to his win over Sock, Nadal has also defeated Dudi Sela, Philipp Kohlschreiber, and Nicolas Mahut this fortnight.

Fognini is in the midst of his best–and certainly most surprising–Masters 1000 result. No matter that he won a grand total of two matches in his first four events of the season; the world No. 40 is suddenly in great form. Fognini upset Jo-Wilfried Tsonga at the Indian Wells Msters and is through to the Miami semifinals thanks to wins at the expense of Ryan Harrison, Joao Sousa, Jeremy Chardy, Donald Young, and Kei Nishikori.

“I (am) always feeling good (on hard courts),” Fognini assured. “Of course this one is the best (hard-court) result of my career at the moment…. At the moment I’m just happy. Of course it’s a big, big tournament for me. (I’m) feeling really good on court; happy about my performance. Of course the result, it’s positive. It’s like a dream, maybe.”