Paris: World No.1 Rafael Nadal overcame a second-set blip to reach the Paris Masters quarterfinals with a 6-3, 6-7(5/7), 6-3 victory over Uruguayan Pablo Cuevas in a late evening match, here Thursday.
Nadal is looking for his maiden title on the Bercy Arena hard courts, which would take him clear of Novak Djokovic with a record 31st Masters triumph.
The 16-time Grand Slam champion will take on World No.77 Filip Krajinovic in the quarters, after the Serb beat Nicolas Mahut 6-2, 3-6, 6-1.
“You don’t expect to win easy in big tournaments like these ones,” said Nadal, who had his right knee strapped after the second set.
When queried on the strapping the Spaniard said, “It’s normal that at the end of the season after all the things that happened. All the matches I played with high intensity, it’s normal that there are body issues a little bit. So it’s (bandage) nothing strange. Something that’s completely normal and accepted.”
In a see-saw affair, Nadal started strongly to win the first set easily, but then due to a string of uncharacteristic errors, he allowed South American Cuevas to level the match. Cuevas won a tight second set tie-breaker to raise hopes of an upset. In the third, however, Nadal was too strong for Cuevas and closed the match with two breaks.
Argentina’s Juan Martin del Potro closed in on a place for the World Tour Finals after beating Robin Haase 7-5, 6-4. The former US Open champion will take the eighth and final qualification spot for London from Pablo Carreno Busta if he reaches the semifinals at Bercy. Delpo will face ninth seed John Isner in the last eight after the American beat Grigor Dimitrov 7-6(12/10), 5-7, 7-6 (7/3).
Lucas Pouille’s slim chances of reaching London ended, though, as the home player lost 6-7(6/8), 3-6 to the big-serving Jack Sock. The American will next face veteran Spaniard Fernando Verdasco, who knocked out Austrian fifth seed Dominic Thiem with a 6-4, 6-4 victory to reach his first Masters quarterfinal since 2012.
At a glance
Rafa Nadal bt Pablo Cuevas 6-3, 6-7(5/7), 6-3
Juan Martin Del Potro bt Robin Haase 7-5, 6-4
John Isner bt Grigor Dimitrov 7-6(12/10), 5-7, 7-6 (7/3)
Jack Sock bt Lucas Pouille 7-6(8/6), 6-3
Fernando Verdasco bt Dominic Thiem 6-4, 6-4
Agence France-Presse
