Nadal ready to face in-form Isner in Beijing
Spaniard eases past young Russian Khachanov 6-3, 6-3
Rafael Nadal said he was braced for the “huge” serve of John Isner after Spain’s world No. 1 bulldozed his way into the China Open quarter-finals yesterday.
The 16-time Grand Slam champion Nadal saw off the young Russian Karen Khachanov 6-3, 6-3 to set up a lasteight clash with Isner in Beijing.
The in-form American, the sixth seed, is renowned for his booming service game and Nadal expects to come under a barrage today. Isner was impressive in blasting his way past Argentina’s Leonardo Mayer 6-0, 6-3 and Nadal said: “Tomorrow will be a tough one against Isner, he’s playing unbelievably well.
“I saw him today, he played so aggressive, having a lot of success, hitting a lot of winners, returning very well. Everybody knows that he serves huge and it is so difficult to break him. “But if you add that he is playing very well now from the baseline, he is one of the toughest opponents you can meet.”
In the women’s draw, former world No. 1 and fourth seed Karolina Pliskova became the latest high-profile casualty on Beijing’s outdoor hard courts, going out in the third round to unseeded Sorana Cirstea.
Cirstea follows fellow Romanian Simona Halep into the
Yesterday’s matches: China Open Men (second round):
1-Rafa Nadal (Spain) beat Karen Khachanov (Russia) 6-3 6-3; 6-John Isner (US) beat Leonardo Mayer (Argentina) 6-0 6-3.
3-Elina Svitolina (Ukraine) beat Elena Vesnina (Russia) 6-2 7-5; Barbora Strycova (Czech Republic) beat Daria Gavrilova (Australia) 6-0 6-4; 9-Jelena Ostapenko (Latvia) beat Peng Shuai (China) 3-0 (Peng S retired); Sorana Cirstea (Romania) beat 4-Karolina Pliskova (Czech Republic) 6-1 7-5; Caroline Garcia (France) beat Alize Cornet (France) 6-2 6-1.
Women (third round): Japan Open (second round):
Yuichi Sugita (Japan) beat 3-Milos Raonic (Canada) 1-0 (Raonic retired); 4-David Goffin (Belgium) beat Matthew Ebden (Australia) 2-6 7-5 7-6(1); Richard Gasquet (France) beat Lu Yen-Hsun (Taiwan) 6-0 7-6(5); Steve Johnson (US) beat Alexandr Dolgopolov (Ukraine) 6-2 6-4.
quarter-finals after the second seed sent Maria Sharapova packing on Wednesday. Cirstea, ranked 44 in the world, stunned the Czech Pliskova 6-1, 7-5 to reach the last eight.