Rafael: Nadal beats Opelka 3-0 and proceeds towards the quarterfinals on the Indian Wells.
The Spanish master has been off to a perfect start this year winning the record-setting 21st Grand Slam title in the Australian Open in January followed by a win in Acapulco in February.
Reilly lost to Nadal in the two-game set; 7-6(3), 7-6(5), taking his exit card from the tournament. This win for Nadal advances him to the quarterfinals of the Indian Wells Masters.
Followed by Novak Djokovic, Nadal became the second player to start the perfect season 18-0 since the start of the tournament in 1990. The Serbian player has done it twice, beginning with 41-0 and 26-0 in 2011 and 2020, respectively.
Nadal is set to face Nick Kyrgios in the quarterfinals on Friday. The Australian player had advanced to the quarterfinals after receiving a walkover when the Italian player, Jannik Sinner, withdrew from the tournament due to illness.
The World No. 4 is the highest-ranked player left in the draw at the ATP Masters 1000 event and is aiming to capture his fourth tour-level title of a remarkable 2022 season this week.
Nadal has made history on multiple occasions this year, having clinched a record-breaking 21st Grand Slam crown at the Australian Open, before he earned his 400th Masters 1000 win over Daniel Evans in the third round in Indian Wells.
“I think I played well,” Nadal added. “It is difficult because you need to find the right balance. When you are playing points from the baseline you think you can’t miss because you won’t have a lot of opportunities. So you need to find the balance to not allow him to come in and not take big risks.”
Nadal is a three-time champion in the California desert (2007, 09, 13) and will continue his title pursuit when he plays Nick Kyrgios in the last eight. The Australian moved through after #NextGenATP Italian Jannik Sinner was forced to withdraw from their match due to illness.
“Nick is playing great,” Nadal said. “He is one of the toughest opponents on Tour. Everyone knows how good he is when he is motivated. It is going to be a good test for me and a good challenge. I am excited to be in the quarter-finals.”
Published By:- Tarsem Singh
Edited By:- Khushi Thakur
