Rafael Nadal kept up his blistering start to the 2022 season with a straight sets victory over Reilly Opelka in the last-16 of the Indian Wells Masters.
Forced to navigate two tie-breaks against the American, Nadal took two hours and 11 minutes to claim a 7-6 [7-3] 7-6 [7-5] victory in a gruelling battle.
Nadal failed to take one match point on the Opelka serve after netting with his return, and the American then proceeded to reduce the deficit to 6-5 with an ace.
Serving for the match, the 21-time Grand Slam winner produced a fabulous backhand to seemingly win the contest, although Opelka's shot was wide anyway as Nadal progressed.
The 35-year-old will now face Australian wildcard Nick Kyrgios for a spot in the semi-finals as he seeks a fourth Indian Wells Masters triumph, and a first since 2013.
Written by
Ben Knapton
Ben Knapton
