Nadal, Bautista Agut Send Team Spain Into Final Eight

Rafael Nadal secured Team Spain’s spot in the Fight Eight as Group B winners on Wednesday at the ATP Cup, but he was made to work extremely hard for the tie victory against Team Japan.

Tennis fans turned out in force at the RAC Arena, to witness the World No. 1 twice recover a break deficit in the first set, before overcoming Yoshihito Nishioka 7-6(4), 6-4 in a tremendous battle over two hours and eight minutes in Perth.

Earlier in the day, World No. 9 Roberto Bautista Agut also extended his winning start to the 2020 ATP Tour season with a 6-2, 6-4 victory over Go Soeda in the first singles rubber.

Nadal, Bautista Agut, Pablo Carreno Busta, Albert Ramos-Vinolas, Feliciano Lopez and captain Francisco Roig will now travel to Sydney, where Spain will prepare to play a tie during Friday’s night session.

Japan, with a 2-1 ties record in Group B, must now win the doubles match in order to remain in contention for the Final Eight as one of the best second-placed teams.

Nishioka insisted he was confident in facing Nadal two days prior to the tie, with memories of beating Kei Nishikori at the Western & Southern Open in August last year. However, a player needs to produce on the day. Nishioka did and forced Nadal to draw upon his big-match experience.

World No. 72 Nishioka was the first to break serve at 2-2 in the first set, but Nadal responded. At 4-4, a double fault and backhand wide from Nadal handed Nishioka the opportunity to serve for the set, but Nadal again broke back during a run of eight straight points. In the tie-break, Nadal applied the pressure, putting a lot of work on the ball to win four of the first five points en route to clinching the 66-minute opener.

Undeterred, Nishioka continued to earn the support of the largely pro-Spain crowd. Nadal’s weight of shot didn’t appear to physically wear down the Japanese, as it had so many opponents, and, having saved one break point at 2-2, Nishioka came within a point of a 4-2 lead on three occasions. Nadal raised his game and broke to 15, with a forehand approach winner, for a 5-4 advantage, and minutes later completed his third singles win of the inaugural tournament.

After the match, in an on-court ceremony, Nadal was presented with the 2019 Stefan Edberg Sportsmanship Award for the third time (also 2010 and 2018).

In the first singles match, Bautista Agut methodically broke down Soeda’s game. The World No. 9 extended his winning start to the 2020 ATP Tour season with a 6-2, 6-4 victory over Soeda, who’d won his two previous singles matches, in 79 minutes.

“Today was, I think, the most difficult match,” said Bautista Agut. “I think it was also the first match with the sun, with the heat. The ball felt much different, flying more and the court was faster. I had more difficulties today, and I think I handled it well.”

Soeda’s opportunity for a win was fleeting when leading Bautista Agut 2-1, with the Spaniard serving at 0/30, courtesy of a fine backhand volley winner at close quarters. But from that moment on, Bautista Agut won 21 of the next 28 points to clinch the 32-minute opener and decisively broke serve in a 12-point fifth game of the second set.

“I had a feeling [it was a big moment], but at that moment I needed more be cool,” said Soeda. “He looks like he has no weapons, but he was everywhere. He’s fast and makes no mistakes. I was feeling the pressure… but it was a different type of nerves from the first two matches I played.”

Japan had beaten Georgia and Uruguay in its two previous Group B ties.