Nadal, who took his grand slam singles haul to 13 this year, has not been ranked one in the world since July 2011. PHOTO: REUTERS
World number two Rafael Nadal said yesterday he felt no extra pressure heading into a semi-final at the China Open which could see him return to the top of the men’s rankings.
The number two seed in Beijing staged an extraordinary comeback against Fabio Fognini in his quarter-final match to keep alive his hopes of unseating Novak Djokovic at the top spot.
He will now have to beat Czech fourth seed Tomas Berdych in today’s match to return to the top for the first time since July 2011.
“It’s something that doesn’t create more pressure,” said Nadal. “It’s something that already happened in the past. If that happens again, it will be good, it will be special for me, but we’ll see.
“I am going to have a very tough opponent in front. In the end, it’s another match. True, it’s a little bit more special for those circumstances, but nothing else.”
Nadal looked to be heading for a crushing defeat in his quarter-final after Fognini claimed the first set and powered to a 4-1 lead in the second.
But Nadal broke the Italian’s serve in the seventh game, before winning the next three to take the second set 6-4.
Fognini, who is ranked 19th in the world, won the opener of the third set. But Nadal sealed his passage through to the semi-finals by claiming victory in the remaining games to seal the match 2-6, 6-4, 6-1.
Current China Open champion Djokovic has spent 101 weeks at number one, but can only remain top in the rankings if he reclaims his title and if Nadal fails to reach the final.
Meanwhile, Berdych earned his place in the semi-finals with a convincing 7-5, 6-2 victory over American John Isner on Friday.
Painful exit for China’s Li
In the women’s tournament, it was heartbreak for Chinese star Li Na, who was dumped out in her quarter-final match 4-6, 6-2, 6-4 by Petra Kvitova.
The 2011 French Open winner has twice reached the semi-finals in Beijing, and looked set for her third appearance when she took the first set by breaking Kvitova’s serve in the final game.
The home crowd favourite traded breaks with the ninth seed Czech at the start of the second set, but Kvitova pulled clear, winning the final four games.
The match continued to be an intriguing battle in the decisive set, with both Li and Kvitova fighting furiously over break points.
Beijing’s National Tennis Centre erupted when Li saved a match point when she was losing 3-5, but her failure to save a second in the following game meant the 31-year-old is still waiting for her first major title on home soil.
In another match, Serbian Jelena Jankovic defeated Czech Lucie Safarova after an early scare, 6-7(7/3), 6-4, 6-4.
Published in The Express Tribune, October 5th, 2013.
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