2024-04-30 16:16:39
Five-time champion Rafael Nadal has qualified for the fourth round of the Masters 1000 series tournament in Madrid.
The Spaniard prevailed 6:1, 6:7 (5), 6:3 over the Argentine Pedro Cachin after more than three hours of play, and for the first time in exactly two years he qualified among the best 16 of the tournament in a similar category.
The 22-time Grand Slam winner had no problems in the first set, in which Kachin certainly looked embarrassed against the 22-time Grand Slam winner. Nadal closed out the first set in 47 minutes and looked confident of cruising to a third consecutive straight set victory.
However, the situation on the court changed at the beginning of the second part of the match, when Kachin led with a 4:1 game with two breaks. Nadal leveled at 5-5, then the two exchanged another break.
In the tiebreak of the second set, Kachin started with a lead of 4:1 points, allowed an equalizer, eventually won with 7-5 points.
Breaks continued on both sides of the net in the decisive third set, but Nadal struck the decisive blow in the fifth game when he broke for 3-2. At the end of the match, he once again won his opponent’s serve and thus secured a qualification for the round of 16.
In them, the Spaniard will argue with the Czech Jiri Lehecka, who earlier in the day defeated Tiago Monteiro from Brazil 6:4, 7:6(7).