14 May,2021 08:58 AM IST | Rome | AFP
Rafael Nadal celebrates a point against Denis Shapovalov during their Italian Open match in Rome, Italy yesterday. Pics/AFP
Nine-time champion Rafael Nadal saved two match points to defeat Canada's Denis Shapovalov in a three-set battle and advance to the quarter-finals of the Italian Open on Thursday.
Second seed Nadal won through 3-6, 6-4, 7-6 (7-3) after nearly 3hr 30min on court against the 13th-seeded Shapovalov. Nadal was trailing a set and 0-3 down in the second set before powering back. Shapovalov also broke for 3-1 in the third set but Nadal broke back immediately and held on despite two match points against him in the 12th game to force a tie-break.
The Spaniard reached his 16th Last 8 appearance in Rome and a 97th ATP Masters 1000 quarter-final. Nadal, 34, will next play either Germany's Alexander Zverev, the sixth seed, or Japan's Kei Nishikori for a place in the semi-finals.
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Nadal lost to Zverev in the Madrid Masters quarter-finals last week. Earlier, World No. 1 Novak Djokovic swept into the Italian Open quarter-finals on Thursday with a straight-sets win over Alejandro Davidovich Fokina in front of spectators at the Foro Italico.
The five-time Rome champion won 6-2, 6-1 in 70 minutes against the 48th-ranked Spaniard, with the venue filled to 25 percent of capacity for the first time amid the easing of COVID-19 restrictions. "It was not good, it was great. I missed the crowd," said Djoko, 33, who next plays Stefanos Tsitsipas in a rematch of last year's French Open semi-final which the Serbian won.
Fifth seed Tsitsipas ended the run of home hope Matteo Berrettini 7-6 (7/3), 6-2 in one hour and 36 minutes. "It always feels like home coming back to Rome," said Djokovic.
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