Abb Takk News
News Ticker Sports TRENDING

Shanghai Rolex: Nadal Beats Dimitrov to Qualify Semi-Finals

Web Desk(October 13, 2017):  Rafael Nadal kept alive his hopes of clinching a 31st ATP World Tour Masters 1000 trophy  at the Shanghai Rolex Masters in a resurgent season that could end with the Spanish superstar becoming year-end No. 1 in the Emirates ATP Rankings for a fourth time.

The World No. 1 defeated sixth-seeded Bulgarian Grigor Dimitrov for the second time in as many weeks 6-4, 6-7(4), 6-3 for a place in the semi-finals against fourth seed Marin Cilic of Croatia, who has not dropped a set all week at the Qi Zhong Stadium.

Nadal, who is currently riding a 15-match winning streak, improved to an ATP World Tour-best 64-9 match record in 2017 and to 870 career match wins — which is tied No. 6 in the Open Era list with American Andre Agassi.

Jimmy Connors (1,256), Roger Federer (1,121 — ahead of Friday’s quarter-final), Ivan Lendl (1,068), Guillermo Vilas (929) and John McEnroe (877) make up the Top 5 match wins leaders in the Open Era (since April 1968).

In a high-quality encounter, which went to a third set for the seventh time in 11 meetings, the athleticism and intensity of both 2009 runner-up Nadal and Dimitrov ensured that the two-hour and 32 minute battle was one of the matches of the 2017 ATP World Tour season.

Related News:

Rafael Nadal Wins China Open Tennis Tournament

Nadal beats Thiem to claim 3rd clay title of season at Madrid Masters