“I can’t say it’s a dream because I even couldn’t dream
about that three months ago, two months ago,” Nadal said. “I am just enjoying
every single moment.”
Last year, Nadal’s playing time was interrupted by COVID-19
and injuries, creating doubt about the Spanish star’s ability to recover well
enough to maintain his exacting standards. But he won his record 21st Grand
Slam title at the Australian Open in January and has continued on a tear.
“I am just very happy to be playing tennis,” said Nadal, who
turns 36 in June. “Today was a little bit worse than other days. It’s true that
the last couple of days the foot has been bothering me a little bit more.”
Nadal has already withdrawn from the Miami Open that follows
Indian Wells. He wants extra time to prepare for the clay court season that
isn’t as punishing as hard courts.
Nadal rallied from a 2-4 deficit in the second set to lead
6-5. Opelka held after three deuces when Nadal netted a forehand chasing the
American’s drop shot to force the second tiebreaker.
Nadal led 4-1 in the tiebreaker when Opelka struggled on his
service returns. On his serve, though, the 6-foot-11 American closed to 4-3,
hitting winners on a drop shot and a forehand.
Again on his serve, Opelka closed to 6-5.
But Nadal closed it out by pulling Opelka out of the court
and the American’s backhand landed wide.
“It’s about trying to hit balls that you don’t take a lot of
risks, but at the same time don’t allow him to go in and go for the shot,”
Nadal said. “Is trying to find the right balance between these two things.”
There were no service breaks in the first set. Opelka fought
off the only break point in the seventh game with a smash and forehand winner.
Nadal held at love for 6-all, forcing the tiebreaker. Opelka led 3-2 with a
forehand winner down the line. Nadal won the next five points, all on errors by
Opelka, to take the set.
Nadal improved to 19-0 against American opponents since
losing to John Isner at the 2017 Laver Cup.
Nadal, a three-time champion in the desert, advanced to the
quarterfinals against wild-card Nick Kyrgios. The Australian advanced to his
first ATP Tour quarterfinal since winning Washington in 2019 after 10th-seeded
Jannik Sinner withdrew because of illness.
Taylor Fritz fired 14 aces in outlasting Alex de Minaur,
3-6, 6-4, 7-6 (5).
“I have more confidence in my shot, so when it comes crunch
time, I feel like I can kind of trust what I want to do, trust my game,” said
Fritz, who reached the semifinals at Indian Wells last year.
Fritz next plays Miomir Kecmanovic of Serbia in the
quarterfinals. Kecmanovic overcame 14 aces by No. 6 seed Matteo Berrettini in a
6-3, 6-7 (5), 6-4 victory.
Grigor Dimitrov of Bulgaria beat Isner, 6-3, 7-6 (6) and
next plays No. 7 Audrey Rublev, who defeated Hubert Hurkacz, 7-6 (5), 6-4.
Spanish teenager Carlos Alcaraz beat Gael Monfils, 7-5 6-1. He’ll play a
quarterfinal against defending champion Cameron Norrie, who defeated Jenson
Brooksby, 6-2, 6-4.
In women’s play, No. 3 Iga Swiatek routed Madison Keys 6-1,
6-0 in under an hour to reach the semifinals. Simona Halep advanced with a 6-1,
6-1 win over Petra Martic. Halep won at Indian Wells in 2015 for her biggest
hardcourt title to date. -AP
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