Nadal sets up Djokovic clash
Spaniard meets world No.2 after beating Goffin while Cuevas faces Thiem in second semi-final
>> MADRID: Rafael Nadal was aiming to keep his unbeaten start to the clay season going when he met Novak Djokovic for a 50th time in the Madrid Masters semi-finals last night.
Nadal went to 13-0 on clay this year as he swept aside Belgian ninth seed David Goffin 7-6 (7/3), 6-2 much to the delight a boisterous home crowd under the roof on the Manolo Santana centre court.
Djokovic had an even easier day as he moved into the last four without hitting a ball on Friday as Kei Nishikori withdrew with a wrist injury.
The Serb had a marginal 26-23 head-to-head record against Nadal.
However, the two had not met for nearly a year during which time Djokovic’s form has dramatically dipped.
“It’s going to be a very tough match against one of the best players in the history of the sport,” insisted Nadal.
“I’ve been playing at a high level for many weeks, but I know tomorrow is a day when either I’ll have to play really well or I’m not going to have many chances.”
Nadal insisted the furore caused by Djokovic’s dip in form over the past year has been overblown.
“On his slump, 99 percent of players would love to be in his position,” said Nadal.
“We have to analyse the numbers. In his dip after Wimbledon, he won in Montreal... made the final at the US Open, the semi-finals in Shanghai, the final in the World Tour Finals.”
Indeed, Nadal claimed it is Djokovic’s sensational form between 2011 and 2015 that was unusual.
“When you win every single match in every tournament, that is abnormal. In history we have never seen what he achieved during those years,” he said.
Nadal eased past Goffin 6-3, 6-1 in their only previous meeting on his way to winning the Monte Carlo Masters last month before also lifting a 10th Barcelona Open.
And only poor returning on his break point opportunities denied Nadal just as convincing a scoreline as the Spaniard took only two of his 14 chances.
The 14-time Grand Slam champion had break points in the fourth and sixth game of the first set, but had to settle for breaking Goffin’s resolve in a tie-break.
Nadal finally broke in the third game of the second set before having to stave off four break points on his own serve to consolidate his lead at 3-1.
The level of play from both players rose in a remarkable game with Goffin serving at 2-4 down as he kept Nadal at bay despite facing four break points, including one incredible cross-court backhand as he ran back to the baseline after being lobbed.
Nadal wasn’t to be denied, though, as he broke once more and served out to seal victory after exactly two hours on court.
On the other side of the draw Uruguayan Pablo Cuevas advanced to his first ever Masters series semi-final by outlasting German wonder kid Alexander Zverev 3-6, 6-0, 6-4.
The Uruguayan was to face Dominic Thiem in the semi-finals after the Austrian swept aside Andy Murray’s conqueror Borna Coric 6-1, 6-4.