Alexander Zverev created a sensation in Madrid by beating Rafael Nadal in straight sets in the quarter-finals. He will challenge Dominic Thiem, striker of John Isner.
Alexander Zverev created the sensation of the day by beating the king of clay, Rafael Nadal, five-time tournament winner (including once when he was on hard) and who had always dominated Zverev in their three previous clashes on clay . But this time, it is the world n ° 6 who emerged victorious from the duel, with a success 6-4, 6-4 in 1h46. Impressive in his first two games, against Carlos Alcaraz and Alexei Popyrin, the Spaniard suffered much more this Friday in the quarterfinals, facing an opponent much stronger than the young Spaniard and the Australian qualifier. Nadal in particular had a lot of trouble in the service (no ace, three double faults, 64% of first balls, three breaks conceded) and his forehand seemed less powerful than usual. As proof: he did not achieve any winning forehand in the first set, and four in the second (6 winning strokes and 17 unforced errors in total)! It is however the world n ° 2 who broke the first in this part, on a shutout at 3-2, in the first set. But he then lost four games in a row, and thus the set. In the second, Nadal saved a first break point at 1-1, but not the next at 2-2. Zverev (4 aces, 5 double faults, 28 winning strokes and 25 unforced errors in total) soared into the game, leading 4-2 and even procuring two 5-2 balls on the opposing service. The Mallorcan saved them, but he did not have the slightest opportunity to unlock afterwards, and must therefore bow from the quarters, as in 2018 (against Thiem), 2007 (Nalbandian) and 2006 (Berdych).
The defeat also means Daniil Medvedev will return to world No. 2 next Monday. Nadal will have the Rome tournament to prepare for Roland-Garros, but after his loss in the quarterfinals in Monte-Carlo (against Rublev), this new defeat calls out, even if he has meanwhile won in Barcelona (in beating Tsitsipas in the final). In the meantime, Alexander Zverev will therefore challenge Dominic Thiem for the eleventh time in his career. The Austrian leads 8-2 in their confrontations (4-1 on clay) and remains on four straight wins, the last in the final of the last US Open.
?? ⚡️ Thunderclap in Madrid!
Nadal takes the door from the quarters after his defeat in two sets against Zverev!
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MADRID (Spain, Masters 1000, clay, € 3,226,325)
Title holder (in 2019): Novak Djokovic (SER)
Semi-finals
A.Zverev (ALL, n°5) – Thiem (AUT, n°3)
Bublik (KAZ) or Ruud (NOR) – Berrettini (ITA, n ° 8) or Garin (CHI, n ° 16)
Quarter-finals
A.Zverev (ALL, n°5) bat Nadal (ESP, n°1) : 6-4, 6-4
Thiem (AUT, n ° 3) bat Isner (USA) : 3-6, 6-3, 6-4
Bublik (KAZ) – Ruud (NOR)
Berrettini (ITA, n ° 8) – Garin (CHI, n ° 16)
