Nadal Sets Murray Madrid SF

Rafael Nadal set a blockbuster semi-final clash with Andy Murray at the Mutua Madrid Open after battling past Joao Sousa 6-0, 4-6, 6-3 on Friday at the Caja Magica.

The stage is set for a rematch of last year’s final, which saw Murray capture his first clay-court ATP World Tour Masters 1000 crown after beating Nadal. Since that loss, Nadal has won his past two meetings with Murray, at the Barclays ATP World Tour Finals and three weeks ago in the semi-finals of the Monte-Carlo Rolex Masters.

The 29-year-old Nadal improved to a 13-match winning streak after edging Sousa in a match watched by Real Madrid footballing star, Cristiano Ronaldo.

It took Sousa 37 minutes to register his first game of the match, levelling at 1-1 in the second set, but the Portuguese’s respite was short lived as Nadal looked set to make a decisive move when he engineered break points in the sixth game.

However, as the rain began to fall more heavily in Madrid, a 10-minute delay ensued as the roof was closed on Manolo Santana court and it was Sousa who emerged stronger. The Portuguese saved the three break points he faced in the sixth game, halting Nadal’s momentum, and then took his chance in the 10^th game, breaking Nadal to 15 to snatch the second set.

Sousa stayed close with Nadal in the early stages of the third set, but the Spaniard regained the initiative in the eighth game, breaking Sousa before serving out the match in two hours and five minutes.

Nadal came into Madrid on the back of victories in Monte-Carlo (d. Monfils) and Barcelona (d. Nishikori). This week, he is looking to claim an Open Era record 50^th clay-court crown and also his 29^th ATP World Tour Masters 1000 trophy.

The Mallorcan is a four-time former champion in Madrid, winning the title once when the event was held on indoor hard court, in 2005 (d. Ljubicic), and three times since the move to clay, in 2010 (d. Federer), 2013 (d. Wawrinka) and 2014 (d. Nishikori).