GRITTY NADAL POWERS ON
Spaniard outduels Dimitrov to set up last-four showdown with Cilic
SHANGHAI
RAFAEL Nadal will play Marin Cilic in the semifinals of the Shanghai Masters yesterday after the World No 1 was forced to fight past Grigor Dimitrov 6-4, 6-7 (47), 6-3.
Juan Martin del Potro meanwhile clambered off the court floor and from a set down to knock out Serbia’s Viktor Troicki 4-6, 6-1, 6-4 and will play Roger Federer, who beat unseeded Frenchman Richard Gasquet 7-5, 6-4.
Nadal, who has never won the Shanghai showpiece, is chasing a seventh title in a brilliant season and a hat-trick of triumphs on the trot, having been crowned US Open and China Open champion in recent weeks.
The 16-time Grand Slam winner saw off the Bulgarian Dimitrov in Beijing last week but suffered some hairy moments in getting the better of him again in a nervy quarter-final played in overcast conditions.
“Very happy, it was a very tough match, both of us played a very high level of tennis,” said the 31-year-old Spaniard, the top seed.
“I enjoyed it, a great battle between two players that are playing all the time very focused and intense points.
“A lot of matches in a row winning and very happy with everything, let’s see what happens tomorrow, but being able to win in Beijing and now semi-finals here... tough events against tough players.
“Just focus on holding that momentum.”
The Croatian fourth seed Cilic — who has defeated Nadal only once in five matches — beat unseeded Spaniard Albert RamosVinolas 6-3, 6-4.
Argentine 16th seed Del Potro fought back from a set down for the second match in a row.
There was a scare when the 29year-old, who has suffered years of wrist injuries that have threatened his career, took a nasty tumble at 2-2 in the deciding set against unseeded Troicki.
His foot appeared to get stuck on the floor and he crumpled down, landing with his weight on his outstretched left hand — his predominantly non-playing hand — and bending it painfully backwards.
The 2009 US Open champion’s career has been blighted by wrist injuries and he has had three operations on the left one.
He needed several minutes of medical attention and sat on a chair on the back of the court, wincing in obvious distress.
Incredibly, he broke the Troicki serve on his immediate return to action. AFP