Only two seeds remain in the top half of the Toronto draw, and they will square off in an intriguing quarterfinal on Friday. It’s Rafael Nadal vs. Marin Cilic, with the winner to meet either Karen Khachanov or Robin Haase in the semis.
(1) Rafael Nadal vs. (WC) Stan Wawrinka
Nadal and Cilic will be facing each other for the eighth time in their careers when they battle for a semifinal spot at the Rogers Cup on Friday. The head-to-head series stands at a somewhat modest 5-2 in favor of Nadal, but one of his losses came via retirement (in the fifth set at this year’s Australian Open) and the other was back in 2009. In his five victories, four of which have come on hard courts, the top-ranked Spaniard is 11-1 in total sets against Cilic.
Cilic appears to be running into a fully fit Nadal this time around, as the 32-year-old is 19-1 in his last 20 matches with a loss only to Novak Djokovic in a five-set semifinal thriller at Wimbledon during this stretch. Showing no signs of slowing down in his first hard-court event since the Aussie Open, Nadal thrashed Benoit Paire 6-2, 6-3 in his Toronto opener before holding off an improved Stan Wawrinka 7-5, 7-6(4) on Thursday night. Cilic booked his place in the last eight by beating Borna Coric in three sets and Diego Schwartzman in straights. The seventh-ranked Croat obviously wields the firepower with which hit Nadal off the court, but a lack of consistency has been an issue for Cilic in 2018 and he will likely fall victim to too many balls coming back–and coming back with heavy topspin–from Nadal’s side of the court.
Pick: Nadal in 3
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Robin Haase vs. Karen Khachanov
Both of Haase’s two career ATP titles have come in Kitzbuhel, but the Rogers Cup is quickly becoming his second favorite tournament (or third, as he is also a two-time runner-up in Gstaad). The 39th-ranked Dutchman made a semifinal run last summer in Montreal and he is through to the quarters this time around in Toronto following straight-set victories over Kei Nishikori, Mikhail Youzhny, and Denis Shapovalov.
Up next for Haase on Friday is a first-ever showdown against Khachanov, who also has not surrendered a single set this week. The 22-year-old Russian beat Filip Krajinovic, Pablo Carreno Busta, and John Isner en route to the last eight, winning each of his last three sets in tiebreakers. Khachanov has been solid but unspectacular in 2018, with plenty of victories but none over anyone in the top 15 since Halle more than a year ago. This should be every bit as competitive as the rankings suggest (Khachanov is one spot ahead of his opponent at No. 38), but a slight edge goes to Haase based on current form and his obvious confidence at this particular event.
Pick: Haase in 3
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Whew! That was a tough hold!
Serve stats posted –
Rafa
1st set
1st serve % – 49%
2nd serve points won – 33%
Service points won – 51%
2nd set
1st serve points won % – 63%
2nd serve points won – 56%
Service points won – 67%
If I had any, my money would be on Rafa. Wondering now if Cilic can hold serve. lol
I can’t watch Rafa serving for the second set.
Really dumb by Rafa! Why always CC to Cilic’s BH, time and again??
Things not looking good for Rafa, he’s not serving well and gets punished!
Oh dear. Vamos Rafa! Get this set.
Oh ho ho…Cilic and that overhead
Rafa is so close to getting this set right now. Cilic has to be a bit rattled.
That ended up working fine. Gets to serve first in the third 🙂
That had to be frustrating for Cilic — how he nearly came back but lost it.
Phew! Rafa really living dangerously but fortunately he survived the second set! Now we have a match! Vamos Rafa, again serve well please to win this.
interesting rafa didnt approach the net at all second set….anyone feel like rafas net game is underrated? i feel like it always bails him out when he needs it (not talking about this match..)
Rafa regrouped and played way better in the second, hitting deeper and with more power and serving better! Good job!
Vamos Champ!
Cilic lost the rhythm on his serve. I think he got tight. Rafa took advantage.
I am exhausted already.
Rafa serves well to start the third set. He steps inside the court after his serve and I think that should work for him, at least rushes Cilic a bit, taking time away from Cilic. He must control the court at least during his own service game.
“Cilic and Zverev are mentally weak.”
– Capt. Obvious
Anyone game yet …
Rafa has a brutal draw in Cincy. Raonic in his opening match followed by Nole in his next.
Federer has a cupcake draw. He has the walking wounded in his draw: Wawrinka, Murray, Nishikori, Delpo and Kyrgios. Does Federer ever get a tough draw?
Rafa does not play Nole till Quarter Finals, till his third match . Raonic should not be too tough though. He looks average this summer.
Side note: Elina Svitolina and Elise Mertens have been playing some great tennis.
Elina wins but that was a good match.
Cilic drives me crazy. This match is a good example of why I’ve come to underestimate and doubt him. He can get in the zone, but he just can’t stay there — at least not with Rafa across the net. And he has trouble v Fed and Nole, too.
The umpire is so incompetent!! Very bad line calls as well! Rafa should challenge more, he was robbed a couple of times…