Nadal eases into quarters during rain-hit day at China Open

ByReuters

Published 06/10/2016 at 17:45 GMT

Second seed Rafael Nadal survived a late fightback from Adrian Mannarino as he beat the French qualifier 6-1 7-6(6) on Thursday to reach the quarter-finals of the China Open during a rain-hit day in Beijing.

Spain's Rafael Nadal

Image credit: Reuters

The 30-year-old got off to a quick start, winning nine of the first 11 games. However, Mannarino rallied back to force the second set into a tiebreak before Nadal ended the contest on his second match point.

"I think I played a fantastic first set. Great level of tennis, serving very good, hitting so good. During the second set, I slowed the rhythm a little bit and he played very well," Nadal, a 14-times grand slam champion, told reporters.

"I think I played with the right amount of determination in the tiebreak. It's very important for my confidence to pass through these tough moments."

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Nadal will face Bulgaria's Grigor Dimitrov in the quarter-finals on Friday.

Spain's Rafael Nadal

Image credit: Reuters

Dimitrov, who is bidding to reach his third final of the year, was two points away from defeat against sixth seed Lucas Pouille but fought back for a gruelling 6(3)-7 7-6(0) 6-4 victory in two hours and 26 minutes.

"Especially in the second set, when he was serving for the match. I felt I was playing good tennis," the 25-year-old Dimitrov told reporters.

"All I could do was stay composed, try to hit every ball that I could and use every opportunity. They came a bit late, but I'm pretty happy with it."

All other matches were cancelled due to rain, including third seed Milos Raonic second round clash against Tunisia's Malek Jaziri.

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