(Indian Wells) Rafael Nadal became the second player in history to win his first 18 games of a season on Wednesday, beating Reilly Opelka 7-6 (3) and 7-6 (5) at Indian Wells.
Updated yesterday at 10:01 p.m.
Only Novak Djokovic has had better starts since 1990. The Serbian had returns of 41-0 in 2011 and 26-0 in 2020.
Nadal erased a 2-4 deficit in the second set. He led 4-1 in the tiebreaker, then won when his rival sent a backhand off target.
“I’m just very happy to play tennis,” said Nadal, who triumphed in Australia in January, setting a record with 21 major titles.
“Especially since my foot has been giving me some trouble recently. »
The 36-year-old Nadal has already announced that he will not play in Miami, to have some rest before the clay court season.
The Spaniard is 19-0 against Americans since a 2017 loss to John Isner.
Three-time desert champion Nadal will face Australia’s Nick Kyrgios in the quarter-finals.
The latter advanced to the table given the package of Jannik Sinner, indisposed.
Other results
American Taylor Fritz had 14 aces and defeated Australian Alex de Minaur 3-6, 6-4, 7-6 (5). He will face Serbian Miomir Kecmanovic in the quarter-finals.
The latter overcame 14 aces from rival, sixth-seeded Italian Matteo Berrettini in a 6-3, 6-7(5), 6-4 win.
Bulgarian Grigor Dimitrov beat American John Isner, 6-3, 7-6(6) to secure his place in the quarterfinals against seventh-seeded Andrey Rublev.
Rublev defeated Poland’s Hubert Hurkacz 7-6 (5), 6-4.
Halep in the semi-finals
PHOTO FREDERIC J. BROWN, AGENCE FRANCE-PRESSE
Simona Halep
In the women’s draw, Romanian and former world No. 1 Simona Halep was the first to advance to the semi-final. She easily defeated Croatian Petra Martić in two identical sets 6-1.
She will face third-seeded Iga Swiatek of Poland, who crushed American Madison Keys 6-1, 6-0 in 56 minutes.
In women’s doubles, Quebecer Leylah Fernandez and Frenchwoman Alizé Cornet took advantage of a package to go directly to the semi-finals.
In the other half of this table, there is a Canadian-Mexican pair, Gabriela Dabrowski and Giuliana Olmos.
The doubles ladies will be at work on Thursday evening.