Madrid Open 2022 score, winner and recap: Rafael Nadal saves 4 MPs to beat David Goffin, advances to record-extending 99th Masters 1000 QF
Rafael Nadal fought back from the brink to defeat David Goffin and advance to the quarterfinals of the Madrid Open on Thursday.
The Spaniard will take on either Cameron Norrie or Carlos Alcaraz in his record 99th Masters 1000 quarterfinal on Friday.
Rafael Nadal vs David Goffin Score
Nadal saved four match points to down Goffin 6-3, 5-7, 7-6(9). In the process, the Spaniard improved to 10-0 in tie-breaks on the Madrid clay.
VAMOS RAFA 🇪🇸
The moment that @RafaelNadal reached a record 99th Masters 1000 quarter-final!
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Rafael Nadal vs David Goffin Winner
With his win over Goffin, the World No. 4 improved his head-to-head against the Belgian to 5-2, with all his victories coming on clay. One of those triumphs came in the 2017 Madrid quarterfinals.
Goffin, meanwhile, defeated Nadal at the ATP Finals in 2017 and in the ATP Cup two years ago.
Trying to get the ball past Rafa on clay = DIFFICULT
While the Tour average for 'stealing' points sits at 35%, @RafaelNadal completes the set vs Goffin winning half of all points in which his opponent was attacking 🤯
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Rafael Nadal vs David Goffin Recap
Five-time Madrid champion Nadal got off to a flying start, opening the match with a hold at love. He got a break point in the next game, but Goffin held firm to level the score.
The World No. 4 wobbled in the fifth game, committing a pair of double faults and three forehand errors to get broken. Goffin, however, wasn't able to make the most of his advantage, allowing Nadal to break back.
Backhand perfection 💥
@RafaelNadal #MMOPEN https://t.co/uGWxesOHJP
The Spaniard continued to struggle as he served up a double fault and netted a forehand to gift Goffin another break point. But the Belgian netted a routine backhand to let the Spaniard off the hook. Nadal eventually held serve to take a 4-3 lead.
The 21-time Slam champion broke Goffin once again as the Belgian coughed up his 13th unforced error. Serving for the set, the Spaniard squandered a set point as he sent his forehand long but made no mistake at the second time of asking, taking the opener 6-3.
All business today 💪
Nadal 6-3 Goffin
@RafaelNadal | @MutuaMadridOpen | #MMOPEN https://t.co/xqJcS0WZIU
Nadal looked poised for an easy victory as he raced to a 5-3 lead in the second. But the Belgian erased two match points, one on his serve and one on Nadal's to restore parity.
After holding relatively comfortably to take a 6-5 lead, Goffin turned the screw, thundering a couple of forehands past Nadal to take the set 7-5 and force a decider.
Goffin hit six more winners than the Spaniard over the course of the second frame.
Goffin outta nowhere 😱
@david__goffin going supersonic to force a decider vs Rafa!
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The third set was a see-saw affair as both players held serve to force a tie-break. Nadal raced to a 4-1 lead after two miscues by Goffin. But the Belgian strung together five straight points to earn two match points at 6-4.
Nadal saved both but Goffin earned another match point at 7-6 as the Spaniard sent his backhand long. But the Spaniard erased it once again, before saving a fourth match point at 9-8.
Nadal earned a fourth match point of his own on a forehand crosscourt shot that drew an error from Goffin. The Spaniard finally sealed the win after the Belgian struck a short forehand just wide of the tramline.