Rafael Nadal and Dominic Thiem are one round away from a rematch in the Rio de Janeiro final, but they first have to take care of unseeded opponents on Saturday. In Delray Beach, meanwhile, Juan Martin Del Potro’s comeback continues to pick up steam.
Rio Open: (1) Rafael Nadal vs. Pablo Cuevas
Nadal and Cuevas will be going head-to-head for the third time in their careers and for the second straight year at the Rio Open when they engage in a semifinal clash on Saturday. Two clay-court encounters went Nadal’s way in 2015, as the Spaniard prevailed 4-6, 7-5, 6-0 in the Rio quarters before cruising to a more comfortable 6-3, 6-2 quarterfinal victory in Hamburg. Speaking of comfortable, Nadal did not even have to take the court on Friday. The world No. 5, who opened his tournament with straight-set wins over fellow Spaniards Pablo Carreno Busta and Nicolas Almagro, got a walkover from an injured Alexandr Dolgopolov.
Cuevas also punched his ticket to the last eight without dropping a set. The 45th-ranked Uruguayan ousted Facundo Bagnis, Thiago Monteiro, and Federico Delbonis in an all-unseeded trek through a section of the draw vacated early by Jo-Wilfried Tsonga and Jack Sock. Needless to say, the competition level is ratcheting up in a big way in the form of Nadal. Cuevas took a set off his heavily-favored opponent last season in Rio only to completely tank the third. Something in between those two extremes will likely transpire in this one.
Pick: Nadal in 2 losing 8 games or fewer
[polldaddy poll=9317124]
Delray Beach Open: Sam Querrey vs. (WC) Juan Martin Del Potro
Del Potro’s comeback to tennis after 11 months away from the game has improved with each match in Delray Beach. The 27-year-old eased through his opener but dealt with no kind of resistance from an out-of-sorts Denis Kudla in a 6-1, 6-4 victory. John-Patrick Smith gave Del Potro a tougher test on Thursday but the 2009 U.S. Open champion still cruised 6-4, 6-4. Jeremy Chardy did not play like the 30th-ranked player in the world during quarterfinal action, but a 6-2, 6-3 beatdown in Del Potro’s favor was nonetheless impressive.
Next up for the wild card is a semifinal showdown against Querrey. Del Potro has won both of their previous meetings in straight sets (6-4, 6-4 in the 2009 Auckland title match and 6-2, 7-5 on the indoor hard courts of Valencia in 2011). Querrey has advanced this week by taking out Thiemo De Bakker, Austin Krajicek, and Tim Smycek, dropping sets to De Bakker and Smyczek along the way. The 61st-ranked American has not been particularly impressive this week and probably lacks the smarts and the style necessary to beat Del Potro at the moment. That would entail opening up the ad side of the court with heavy groundstrokes to the deuce side to go along with attacking the net with approach shots to the Argentine’s backhand. Querrey also will not be able to dictate play to the extent that those tactics can be executed.
Pick: Del Potro in 2
[polldaddy poll=9317141]
They just showed a stat with Cuevas winning. 29 baseline points to rafa’s 16 points. That’s a sobering statistic.
Rafa can get this still. But he’s making it harder than it needs to be. He shouldn’t have let that break lead slip.
Yes!
Also what’s with Rafa losing way more baseline points. He’s actually done quite well at the net. Maybe he should be coming in more. There’s a great DTL forehand. He’s hitting that shot pretty well right now. It seems like the cross court forehand is the shot not working too well for him right now. Game Rafa. VAMOS!!
I agree about the cc forehand being off. Also Rafa is just working too hard in this match. This is s guy who should not be challenging Rafa.
Set point. Close this out now, Rafa !
I now wonder, will he ever be able to play at a high level consistently for hours ?:(
I don’t understand how he played well last fall
Same. It was so random. It seemed like it wasn’t random and he was coming back but unless he wins a masters event this clay season I’m not so sure about my prediction of him winning RG anymore.
I think there was an interview with Roig in which he said that once the slams were over the pressure was off and Rafa was able to play better.
I think that does make sense. Roig also said that when the new year started and the first slam happened, Rafa had nerves again.
Ricky, yeah…but perhaps he was able to play well because there were no expectations. He ended the season on a high and then had expectations for this year. Roig also said something similar in his interview this week.
Also, notice that he plays his worst tennis when he is in the lead! he plays nice and aggressive without missing much when he is trailing but the moment he leads, and thinks he is expected to win, he crumbles.
Like Gavrilova, Nadal is good from behind
Thanks Cuevas for missing that! WIN THE Tie break rafa ,please!
His backhand has been very solid though! As bad as his forehand has been, he has managed this set because of his backhand. Two set points. One gone…. one more on his own serve
How’s the serve
The serve is bad when he needs it! it’s been decent otherwise!
Incredible angle on the backhand and justtt made that inside out forehand! Third set point!!
Average. Wide out serve in the ad court had been effective.
I agree about the backhand. That is what has stood out to me in his matches – hitting it better than the forehand.
DOuble fault on set point! Just when I thought it cannot get worse..
Rafa two points from the set. He just needs to get this set. He will start to free up in the second if he gets this one. I bet it will be 6-2 or something like that in the second it Rafa gets this. Yes!! 6-4 Nadal. I don’t think cuevas is that great at coming back in matches so if Rafa wins this he can dominate the second by freeing up and taking advantage of a most likely discouraged Cuevas. Set point #2 now. Oh no. Are you kidding me right now?!
Can you believe this! Double fault on set point to make it 6-6.
Rafa beating himself yet again.
DF on SP
Now THAT was sick. What I hope is that they show Del Po after this set. They’re supposed to be showing it right now. I know it’s Rafa but c’mon they gotta show Del Po vs Querrey. VAMOS Rafa gets the set!! Phew. Now please switch over to Delray Beach tennis channel. Please!!
HE DID NOT MISS THIS TIME! PHEWWWWW…. gets it!
His backhand saved it for him….
Forehand soooo shaky….
Set 1 stats:
https://pbs.twimg.com/media/Cbs2ZKVWIAEfpdj.png
🙂
set
Rafa wins the TB and the first set. Thank goodness!
Continues to hit amazing CC backhands and miss routine forehands
CC backhand on fire…absorbing pace amazingly well
Cuevas playing a stupid match , tactically speaking…..continues to pepper the nadal backhand..
So true.
Cuevas is dying to go away. Just get this break Rafa and you’ve got this!!
This is painful to watch…Rafa’s hitting short, being tentative and obviously lacking confidence, making tons of UEs and losing rallies mainly due to the fact that he is slower…his footwork also being lousy in this match…
Hope Rafa improves in the second set…this match is taxing on his body…the good thing is that he had more rest…
Rafa quit those stupid UEs, please!
Damnit Rafa why can’t you just get this done fast?! If he wins quickly then maybe they’ll show Del Po. I mean they should just show that match now. Get away from this sloppy match TC!! Wow thanks for the horrible drop shot Nadal. Awesome. Just great bravo.
Sick dropshot from Cuevas. Huge congrats to Rafa for making this a long match and letting cuevas hang around. And most importantly thank you for stopping us from seeing Del Po play by making this match fifty hours long. Chances are cuevas is up 4-1 in ten minutes.