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
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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
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How did Rafa become so easy to outhit on CLAY??? He makes mediocre player Cuevas look extraordinary…
No way. The Tennis Channel said in the program alert below that after the match’s CONCLUSION, they will show Delray semis. At this rate, there won’t be a semifinal to watch!! Damnit I’m so annoyed right now. I was so excited to see Del Po play. And I’m not getting TC plus lol. God Rafa is making me mad. Can he just get this set 6-2 or even 6-3? PLEASE!
I think he will comeback, win this 7-5 and then he will say this is a great victory because he did not lose colm despite of trailing 1-4
Rafa not only outplayed but outsmarted by Cuevas…this is making me sick!
Del Po lost the first 7-5. Now 1-1 in the second. Hope Juan can come back but still win this set close so the match goes longer and allows us to see some after this ugliness.
Please god let him break back here.
Benny,
I really do feel for you. It’s so unfortunate that rafa’s inability to win efficiently, will interfere with your chance to watch Delpo live.
I was watching something else and then came back to see Cuevas up 5-2. Deja vu all over again.
Now that Rafa broke back, can he find a way to win this set and get this over with? I am not finding this enjoyable. Rafa finds a way to make matches last longer.
To be honest Rafa has shown some flashes of greatness today. He’s just mixed in errors too many times. I’m just hoping he can win this match in straights. 7-5 in this set would be my preference.
Oh thank god. Get the next few games Rafa. 7-5 please!! VAMOS!!
Flashes of greatness mixed in with way too many errors and too much mediocrity. Rafa should not have to battle this hard against the likes of Cuevas.
SP Slayvas
Exactly! ?
Oh crap. Set point. No please no don’t let this go three Rafa please!!!! I beg of you. Don’t. Please. Oh god it’s a let. So nervous. Please win this point. VAMOS!! Thank. God.
Still Querrey is serving for a straight sets win. Gosh Rafa. Why. Set point again. Rafa is gonna lose this set and no getting to see Del Po. What the heck Tennis Channel. Nadal saves set point. Deuce again. Tennis channel said they were gonna show del Po and instead show it on TC plus and say they’re gonna show it after this match finishes even though it’s taking ten thousand years. Del Po lost 5 and 5. I guess it would’ve been sad to see him lose but still I would’ve liked to see that match. Also Rafa is down 0-2. Great.
2hrs 40 mins for 2 sets! clapping for Rafa
Are you joking? Delirious yet? I keep going back and forth watching other programs and then checking back in to see what’s going on.
When Rafa lost the second set, I had to change the channel. Still battling I see.
I guess I should’ve stuck with my pick from start of tournament of Del Po losing to Querrey in the semis. So sad he lost. We have an all American final now at least. Hoping Rampras can win. Also Rafa loses the set. He could lose this now. What a wasted opportunity if he loses this. Just pathetic.
Rampras and Pella will win
You think Pella will win if Rafa wins too? Or just if cuevas wins?
Massive opportunity wasted. Terrible, terrible and terrible.
Barry Cowan is so frustrated that he just questioned Rafa’s tennis IQ! he said he cannot understand how rafa can just keep returning second serve returns like that for the whole match without much success!
He played such a poor return on BP and then missed a forehand DTL on the second BP.
Not sure if this is worse than 2015
Now he is facing break point….It should not be surprising but it actually is for me every single time he does it, esp on clay. He is down a break now…
Disgusting performance!
How does Rafa actually blow this opportunity? His path to title would’ve been beating cuevas then Pella. Just awful.
he is the underdog against every single professional player on the circuit these days..
Because he’s beating himself.
Roig and Toni speak of ‘changes’ as if Rafa has starteddoing Serve & Volley on 50 percent of the points.
Nothing bloody justifies these performances!
From being mentally the strongest tennis player , he has become like this?!
I am glad someone else said it. This is really the living end. I just have to say that I do not know how uncle Toni can watch his nephew go out there and have the same dismal result over and over again.
The longer a match goes on the stronger rafa’s opponent gets. Rafa just does the same thing over and over without changing anything up.
This is sickening.
Honestly I am feeling sick watching this!!
Rafa Rafa Rafa. Please dont do this to yourself