-Toronto, Canada
Rafael Nadal reached his sixth career Masters 1000 Semi-Final in Canada with a comeback 2-6, 6-4, 6-4 win over Marin Cilic on Friday night at the Rogers Cup.
Nadal now 15-1 in Masters 1000 events in 2018, broke Cilic in the final game of the 3rd set to seal the victory in front of a full house at the Aviva Centre in Toronto.
The pro Nadal crowd were on edge in the first set as Nadal was broken in his second service game, twice in the first set and looked to be off his game. Cilic had 17 winners in the opening 41 minute set to just six from Nadal. The World No.1 was serving poorly as well. Just 49-percent with his first serve. He never created a single break point.
In the second, Nadal turned things around winning eight straight points including breaking the World No.7 at Love in the fourth game. In the ninth game Nadal was facing a pair of break points of his own and a big Cilic forehand down the line got him back on serve.
In the next game Cilic, who has never been past the Quarter-Finals in Canada looked ready to even up the set but an easy overhead shank-miss seemed to fluster the 6’6 Croatian. He then proceeded to miss three straight forehands; one wide, one long and one into the net. The set belonged to Nadal.
In the third, the players held serve until the tenth game when Cilic’s forehand went array again. Nadal had three match points and converted on the final one after Cilic hit a crosscourt backhand wide. It wasn’t a vintage Nadal win but he will take it.
“Being in semifinals is great news at the start of the hard court season in a good way,” said the World No. 1 ” And winning three good matches in the first Master 1000, yeah, so important for me. And especially the way that he played in that first set was unstoppable, no? So I resisted. I play with the right tactic.It means a lot to me to be in the semifinals.”
Nadal hit 22 less winners than Cilic but made 20 less unforced errors. Cilic actually won three more points in the match.
The 17-time Grand Slam champion is now two wins away from his 33rd career Masters 1000 title and the 80th overall of his career He will face Karen Khachanov in the second semi-final on Saturday not before 8pm local time.
