Mubadala WTC: Kevin Anderson overpowers Rafael Nadal to reach the final
The first semi-final clash at the Mubadala World Tennis Championship has brought an interesting battle between Rafael Nadal and Kevin Anderson and the defending champion from South Africa toppled the four-time winner Nadal 4-6 6-3 6-4 to reach the second consecutive final in Abu Dhabi. This was the first match for Rafa after that knee injury at the US Open and he fought well against an in-form rival who qualified for the ATP Finals for the first time, setting even bigger goals in 2019. Nadal defeated Anderson in all five official matches and he was off to a great start, serving well and keeping the pressure in Anderson's games with two deuces before he broke him at 3-3, finding the way to tame rival's serve and earning a break with a smash winner that moved him in front.
Kevin broke back in the very next game after some wild shots from the Spaniard who grabbed another break in game nine to stay in front and get a chance to serve for the set in the following game. He made no mistakes this time around and he secured the first part of the match after forcing an error from Kevin for a 6-4. The South African raised his level in set number two, losing only a few points in five service games and he grabbed a break in the sixth game when Rafa sent a forehand long for his first lead of the match.
A service winner delivered the set for the Wimbledon finalist at 5-3 and the momentum was on his side before the start of the decider. Nadal had his chances but he squandered three break points in games six and eight before Anderson broke him at 15 at 4-4 to gain the crucial lead after a deep return that forced an error from Rafa. Serving for the win, Kevin held at love in the next game, firing a good serve that pushed him into another final of this event, moving a win away from title defense.
Semi-final result:
Kevin Anderson (RSA) vs Rafael Nadal (ESP) 4-6 6-3 6-4
from Tennis World USA http://bit.ly/2GKM3op
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