Rafael Nadal set up a Paris Masters semi-final against Alexander Zverev with a comeback victory on Friday over Pablo Carreno Busta, ending his fellow Spaniard’s ATP Tour Finals hopes.
The top seed edged a tight second set before racing through the decider to win 4-6, 7-5, 6-1.
Nadal is bidding for a first Paris Masters title.
Photo: AFP
“I think in the third, I started to return better,” the 34-year-old said. “The problem was he was playing well and I was not able to return well, so he was winning his serves very comfortably — so when that happens, you’re able to play more aggressive.”
Zverev edged out Stan Wawrinka 6-3, 7-6 (7/1) to make the semi-finals for the first time.
Carreno Busta’s defeat gives Diego Schwartzman the last spot.
Photo: EPA-EFE
Schwartzman missed the chance to seal a Tour Finals debut earlier in the day with a 6-3, 6-1 loss to Daniil Medvedev, who next faces Milos Raonic in the other semi-final.
Nadal, playing his first event since winning a record-extending 13th French Open across Paris at Roland Garros last month, would equal Novak Djokovic’s record of 36 Masters titles with a success this week.
It is his first hard-court tournament since winning in Acapulco in February, before the COVID-19 pandemic forced the suspension of professional tennis.
Nadal has won five of his six meetings with Zverev, but lost their last meeting at last year’s Tour Finals.
“You need to adapt to everything,” added Nadal, who has only reached the final at the Bercy Arena once in his seven previous appearances. “I have to adapt to the hard surface. It’s time to be happy because the semi-final is a very good performance after a long period without playing on indoor hard surfaces.”
Carreno Busta started strongly, making up for missing a break point early on by breaking Nadal in the seventh game before going on to take the opening set.
The world No. 2 was in trouble when he was 0-40 down in the first game of the second set, but he managed to save the three straight break points.
He came through two tough service games late in the set, before fighting back from 40-15 down when Carreno Busta was serving to force a tiebreak.
A trademark forehand winner up the line, celebrated with a jump and fist pump, sealed Nadal the set at the first opportunity to send the match into a decider.
The momentum was firmly with the 20-time Grand Slam champion, and he clinched a 3-1 third-set lead with a backhand winner.
Nadal hit top gear in the closing stages, wrapping up the victory with a fierce forehand that secured a fifth straight game.
‘ERROR-FREE’ AGAINST NADAL
Alexander Zverev said that he would need to be “error-free” to defeat top-seeded Spaniard Rafael Nadal in the semi-finals of the Paris Masters yesterday.
“When you play Rafa [Rafael Nadal] at any stage of the tournament, you have to be error-free to have success,” Zverev told reporters after his win against Stan Wawrinka on Friday.
“Even though at later stages, I think all the top players always play better and it’s even more difficult to beat them,” Zverev said. “I’m looking forward to that match. It’s going to be a very difficult challenge.”
“I think Rafa is extremely motivated here,” Zverev said. “He has never won this tournament, so I think for him this is extra motivation, as well — for me as well.”
Zverev trails 5-1 against Nadal in previous meetings.
“I think most of the tennis players on this planet are in a deficit against Rafa,” Zverev said with a smile. “I think that’s quite normal.”
TEEN HANDED DOPING BAN
Alejandro Licea, a 16-year-old tennis player from El Salvador, was on Friday banned for 14 months after failing a drug test, the International Tennis Federation (ITF) said.
Licea, ranked No. 1,629 in the world, tested positive for a banned steroid after playing in a Davis Cup tie in San Salvador in March.
“He provided a urine sample ... which was found to contain clostebol,” an ITF statement said.
“Clostebol is prohibited under the 2020 WADA Prohibited List.”
The ITF said that they accepted Licea’s explanation of the source of the clostebol and that his “violation was not intentional.”
His suspension has been back-dated to start from March 7.
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