Marathon man Nadal into quarterfinals

Marathon man Nadal into quarterfinals

August 12, 2016
Rafael Nadal of Spain celebrates after winning his match against Gilles Simon of France in Rio Thursday. — Reuters
Rafael Nadal of Spain celebrates after winning his match against Gilles Simon of France in Rio Thursday. — Reuters

RIO DE JANEIRO — Rafael Nadal reached the Olympic Games quarterfinals Thursday, winning the first of 10 matches he will need to sweep in just four days to secure triple Rio gold.

The 2008 champion defeated Gilles Simon 7-6 (7-5), 6-3 for his eighth win over the Frenchman in nine meetings.

Nadal, a 14-time major winner, is playing in his first tournament in two months after a wrist injury caused an early withdrawal from the French Open.

"I won, that's what's important. I'm in the quarterfinals, which is very good news," said Nadal. "A few days ago I wouldn't imagine being in this position, but we have the desire and the energy high to give my best at every moment and that's what I am doing."

After torrential rain wiped out Wednesday's entire program, the 30-year-old faced an epic test of his fitness and stamina.

He heads out to Court Three later Thursday with Marc Lopez to take on Canada's Daniel Nestor and Vasek Pospisil with a spot in the men's doubles final at stake.

Then, in the evening, the Spaniard readjusts his compass for his first ever mixed doubles match. Nadal is partnering French Open champion Garbine Muguruza against Lucie Hradecka and Radek Stepanek of the Czech Republic.

"Now comes the most important match of the day for us, which is the doubles, where we are closer to a medal. We will fight to the death for it," added Nadal.

Juan Martin del Potro, who put out world No. 1 Novak Djokovic in the first round, made the last-eight with a 6-7 (4-7), 6-1, 6-2 win over Taro Daniel of Japan.

Del Potro, the 2009 US Open champion who has suffered a series of wrist injuries, will face Spain's Roberto Bautista Agut, the 10th seed, for a place in the semi-finals.

Del Potro, now ranked at 141 in the world, was a bronze medalist at the 2012 London Olympics.

After Wednesday's deluge, the tournament was playing catch-up with the women's singles quarterfinals to be completed.

Elina Svitolina, the conqueror of defending champion and world number one Serena Williams, is to face Petra Kvitova while Monica Puig meets Laura Siegemund.

In the bottom half of the draw, second seed and Australian Open champion Angelique Kerber tackle Britain's Johanna Konta.

The winner will face American seventh seed Madison Keys who breezed into the semifinals by seeing off Russia's Daria Kasatkina 6-3, 6-1.

Later, defending men's champion Andy Murray faces volatile Fabio Fognini of Italy.

The winner will take on 12th-seeded Steve Johnson of the United States for a semifinal place. Johnson brushed aside Russia's Evgeny Donskoy 6-1, 6-1.
Japan's fourth seed Kei Nishikori meets Andrej Martin of Slovakia.

Venus Williams finally broke her Rio duck Thursday when she teamed with Rajeev Ram to reach the Olympic Games mixed doubles second round.

The 36-year-old American, already a four-time Olympic gold medalist, had lost her opening round singles match and first round women's doubles with sister Serena.

She was close to a third successive blowout when she and Ram had to save a match point against Dutch pairing Kiki Bertens and Jean-Julien Rojer.
But they eventually triumphed 6-7 (4-7), 7-6 (7-3), 10-8.

The American pair next face either Roberta Vinci and Fabio Fognini of Italy or French second seeds, Kristina Mladenovic and Pierre-Hugues Herbert.


August 12, 2016
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