By Richard Pagliaro | Wednesday, March 16, 2022
Rafael Nadal topped Reilly Opelka 7-6, 7-6, raising his record to 18-0—third-best start in ATP history—to set up an Indian Wells showdown vs. Nick Kyrgios.
Photo credit: Getty
Precarious positions don’t scare Rafael Nadal—they’re springboards for surges.
Down a break against seismic server Reilly Opelka today, Nadal’s back was against the wall for so long it's a wonder his sweaty silhouette wasn't shining near the Rolex crown on the back green fence.
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Nadal responded with passionate persistence defusing Opelka 7-6(3), 7-6(5) in an Indian Wells tense test to extend his perfect start to the season.
The Grand Slam king raised his record to 18-0—the third best start to a season in ATP history behind Novak Djokovic’s 2011 (41-0) and 2020 (26-0) torrid tears to start years.
“Super happy, [it] has been a very difficult match,” Nadal told Andrew Krasny in his on-court interview. “I know before the match it’s gonna be a very tough opponent. He started the season playing fantastic. I wish him all the very best.
“He’s a very difficult player to play against without a doubt with his huge serve, huge forehand. But I think I played my best match so far in the tournament—that’s very important for me.”
It is Nadal's 12th Indian Wells quarterfinal and 98th career Masters 1000 quarterfinal as he continues his quest for a record-tying 37th Masters crown.
Before a roaring crowd that included tournament owner Larry Ellison and fellow Nadal super fans Ben Stiller and Christine Taylor, Nadal withstood another stiff test from a powerful American following his 6-2, 1-6, 7-6(3) opening-round win over Sebastian Korda.
Seeing Opelka thunder serves in excess of 140 mph, including a 147 mph missile that tied Taylor Fritz for fastest serve of the season, Nadal dropped his return positioning near the back wall, dug in with defiance and mixed slow slice backhand with some stinging forehands to take both tiebreaks.
“I mange [returning] it so-so, but I don’t know if the cameras can follow me 10 meters behind the baseline. I just tried,” Nadal said. “It’s difficult because he’s not only about the speed he’s about the spin too. It’s difficult to read his serve because his serve is sometimes coming with topspin, sometimes with slice.
“It’s difficult to read and at the same time it’s not enough to put the ball in because then he has a huge forehand. It’s a great victory for me against one of the toughest opponents I can play and I’m very happy. I can’t thank you enough all for the positive energy I receive.”
Energy should be electric when Nadal faces nemesis Nick Kyrgios for a semifinal spot in a clash of the reigning Australian Open singles and doubles champions who have engaged in some heated encounters in the past.
A resurgent Kyrgios, who has held in all 26 service games in the desert, reached his first Masters 1000 quarterfinal since he was a 2017 Cincinnati finalist without striking a shot. Kyrgios took a walkover into the quarterfinals when scheduled opponent Jannik Sinner withdrew from the tournament due to illness.
Three-time Indian Wells champion Nadal is 5-3 lifetime vs. Kyrgios, who is bidding to become the third active man with four victories over the 21-time Grand Slam champion.
"Nick is difficult in any conditions, no?" Nadal said. "When he's playing well and when he's excited and motivated, he's one of the toughest opponents without a doubt, no?
"Tomorrow going to be a tough match, but we are in quarterfinals of Indian Wells, Masters 1000. We can't expect another thing, no? I have to expect a very tough opponent in front."
In a match that featured just two service breaks, Nadal’s return tenacity and super success protecting his second serve proved pivotal. Nadal won 15 of 20 second-serve points, including a perfect 10 of 10 in the first set, while Opelka, who served 76 percent showing the entire serving spectrum, was 8 of 24 on second serves.
Seven games into the match, Nadal earned the first break point of the day and made Opelka play. Showing his patience, Opelka attacked the Australian Open champion’s backhand behind a forehand down the line and thumped a smash saving break point and sparking a tough hold for 4-3.
Dropping well behind the baseline to try to give himself time on the return, Opelka wasn’t gaining any traction on his opponent’s serve.
The opening set escalated into a tiebreaker where Nadal unleashed a running strike to break open a 3-3 tie. Opelka tried to attack but Nadal ripped that running forehand with such spin the America could not control his volley. Nadal hurled a huge uppercut to celebrate that pivotal pass then forced successive forehand errors for three set points.
When Opelka sailed a backhand beyond the baseline, Nadal collected the 54-minute opening set.
Facing one of the game’s most imposing servers inspired a formidable first-set serving performance from Nadal. The Spanish left hander stamped four love holds in six service games and won 19 of 32 points played on his serve, including a perfect 10 of 10 on second-serve points in that first set.
Moving up quickly to the baseline, Nadal slammed a forehand winner down the line creating the second deuce of the match in the fourth game of set two. On break point, Opelka scalded a 145 mph serve and rocked a heavy forehand winner to quiet the threat, eventually evening the set after four games.
Glancing over to his support box after that hard-fought hold, Opelka brought levity to the heat of the battle saying “this set has 6-2 written all over it.”
The Grand Slam king went for a big second serve down the middle but missed it. Nadal’s second double fault of the game gave Opelka his first break point. The man wearing the white baseball cap rapped a deep drive handcuffing Nadal into a netted forehand. The first break of the day gave Opelka a 3-2 lead.
The Dallas champion had a game point to confirm the break, but double faulted then pasted a forehand sitter into the middle of the net to face break point. Calmly stepping to the line, Opelka carved out a wicked 120 mph slice ace down the middle to erase break point. Opelka muted the uprising consolidating for 4-2.
An unsettled Nadal misfired off his back foot to face two more break points in the seventh game. Flashing a heavy forehand return right back at the Spaniard, Opelka drew a scattered reply for a third break point. Nadal calmed the chaos with a serve-and-volley winner to fight through the seventh game.
Salvaging that hold proved crucial as Nadal was tormenting the seven-footer with low slice and no-pace shots for a break point. Opelka unloaded a 147 mph bomb—somehow Nadal put the missile back in play—and blistered a crackling backhand to save it. Undaunted, Nadal earned another break point and this time drew a wild backhand breaking back to even after eight games.
Serving to force a second-set tiebreaker, Opelka opened with a double fault and an error to go down love-30. The big man buried a heater into the hip to draw even then banged a 141 mph ace for 40-30. Nadal again cleverly took the air out of the ball with slow slices to draw the error for deuce. Opelka refused to crack serving his way into a second-set tiebreaker.
The fourth-seeded Spaniard showed his athleticism back-pedaling for a smash to earn the mini break for 2-1. Nadal extended his lead to 4-1 and served superbly mixing a slider serve out wide followed by a jamming body serve for triple match point.
Opelka wasn’t done yet detonating successive big serves to save two match points. On the third match point, Nadal attacked behind a backhand then scooped a running Opelka drive into the open court closing an entertaining match in two hours, 11 minutes.
Rafa isn't spending too much time reflecting on his career-best roll to start the season, he's more focused on sustaining it.
"Of course, for me it's super surprising be in the position that I am, winning three titles already, be in quarterfinals here, Indian Wells," Nadal said. "I can't say it's a dream because I even couldn't dream about that three months ago, two months ago.
"Yeah, things are going that way. The only thing that I can say is thanks to everybody who helps, everybody who supports me around the world, and thanks to life for this incredible opportunity that I am having. I am just enjoying every single moment."