FEAT OF CLAY

Rafael Nadal broke record of 49 straight sets won on the same surface by beating Diego Schwartzman 6-3, 6-4 in the third round of the Madrid Open on Thursday.

Nadal extended his winning streak to 50 consecutive sets on clay, eclipsing the mark McEnroe established on carpet in 1984.

“When my career is over, these are things that are going to be there for always. It’s difficult to be able to win 50 sets in a row,” Nadal said.

l Top-ranked Simona Halep lost to Karolina Pliskova 6-4, 6-3 in the Madrid Open quarterfinals, while Maria Sharapova also bowed out to Kiki Bertens.