Canada Flashback: Rafael Nadal edges Stan Wawrinka in a thriller

World number 1 and a three-time Canada Masters champion Rafael Nadal advanced to the quarter-final in Toronto 2018 after a hard-fought 7-5, 7-6 triumph over Stan Wawrinka in two hours and eight minutes. Rafa beat Stan for the 17th time in 20 encounters and advanced to his 86th Masters 1000 quarter-final. It was Nadal's 37th win from 40 matches that year, and he had to work hard to earn it, trailing 5-3 in the second set before performing a comeback to seal the deal in straight sets. It was an open war right from the start, and Wawrinka made Nadal run for his money, finishing the match with a 32-29 ratio against Nadal's 25-23. The Spaniard had a slight advantage in both the shortest and mid-range points, but it would not have been undeserved had Stan held in that second set's tenth game when he served for it, fighting for every point after a poor 2018 so far and only three wins in 12 matches before Toronto!

A night earlier, Wawrinka had to save match points against Marton Fucsovics and should be pleased with how he performed against Nadal, expecting more in Cincinnati and at the US Open. Playing against each other for the first time since the Roland Garros final 12 months ago, Rafa held at love in the opening game with a forehand winner and created two break points in the next game that could have given him the advantage. Stan saved both with winners to avoid the setback and competed with Nadal in the next six games to reach 4-4 after a service winner in game eight.

Rafael Nadal prevailed over Stan Wawrinka in Toronto 2018, trailing 5-3 in the second.

The first problem for Rafa came in game nine when Wawrinka created three break points with a forehand down the line winner. The Spaniard saved them all, mainly after Stan's mistakes, and earned two set points on the return in game ten. The Swiss saved both with service winners to make a vital hold, but Nadal stayed focused and held at 15 in game 11 after a drop shot winner.

The rain started to fall and halted the action for over 40 minutes, with Wawrinka finding his rhythm while serving to stay in the set once they returned. He wasted two game points, though, and Nadal found a way to break him and take the opener 7-5 after a grueling 69 minutes. Carried by this momentum, Rafa opened the second set with a break in game two when Stan sent a backhand wide, but the Swiss found his backhand in the next game to break back and stay on the positive side of the scoreboard. Wawrinka broke again in game five when Nadal's forehand landed long and served for the set at 5-4. A forehand down the line earned a break for Nadal, who was super pumped now, reaching the tie break where he was the favorite. The result stayed with serve until 3-3, and the Spaniard grabbed a mini-break in the seventh point and moved 6-3 up after two good points behind the initial shot. Stan saved the first match point, but Rafa sealed the deal with a forehand return winner, taking the breaker 7-4 and moving into the last eight.

from Tennis World USA https://ift.tt/3lVf4k5