Rafael Nadal avoided a scare as he won a final-set tiebreaker to beat Denis Shapovalov 3-6 6-4 7-6 in the last-16 of the Italian Open. However, Nadal did win on home soil when he defeated Stefanos Tsitsipas in the final of the Barcelona Open last month. That was his only recent win on the surface, but he was expected to win all four tournaments. Shapovalov twice broke Nadal in an entertaining first set, which the 22-year-old won 6-3. He was close to leading 4-0 in the second set, only to be on the receiving end of a dominant comeback.

Source: Express May 13, 2021 15:45 UTC