In an often breathtaking clash laden with sumptuous shot-making, the Spaniard was rocked by the hard-hitting Schwartzman who broke him three times to claim the second set at Rod Laver Arena. The jet-heeled Schwartzman joined the grand slam quarter-final club at the U.S. Open, a milestone moment during an impressive rise up the rankings in 2017. Schwartzman was pumped, but he left the court immediately, his extended break allowing Nadal time to marshal his forces. The 25-year-old kept swinging for the fences to the finish and saved a second match point by ripping a backhand winner down the line. Nadal simply bided his time before pouncing on the third, a second serve dismissed with a sizzling return winner to keep his bid for a 17th grand slam title firmly on track.

Source: The Star January 21, 2018 08:39 UTC