Rafael Nadal broke John McEnroe’s record for consecutive set wins on a single surface as he moved into the quarter-finals of the Madrid Open.
Nadal beat Argentina’s Diego Schwartzman 6-3 6-4 on the clay to take his winning set streak to 50 and eclipse McEnroe’s total which the American achieved on carpet in 1984.
¡HISTORIA EN EL #MMOPEN!
?? @RafaelNadal enlaza 5️⃣0️⃣ sets consecutivos sobre tierra batida. Algo inédito en toda la historia del tenis. ?????? pic.twitter.com/XA5Hww9hoy
— Mutua Madrid Open (@MutuaMadridOpen) May 10, 2018
Nadal, who is looking for a sixth career Madrid Open title, broke Schwartzman in the sixth game of each set and appeared to be on course for a comfortable win.
World number 16 Schwartzman served up a minor scare by breaking back for 4-4 in the second set, but Nadal responded immediately and closed out for a history-making win.
Coric served for the match at 5-4 in the second set and also had three break point chances in the eighth game of the decider before Thiem held his nerve to claim victory.
Juan Martin del Potro remains positive despite Madrid exit.
“I think I am getting some momentum. I can raise the level of my game.”
Read Reaction ▶️: https://t.co/ZrRUEO7p8w pic.twitter.com/7wdH6MOlIz
— ATP World Tour (@ATPWorldTour) May 10, 2018
Previously In-form fourth seed Juan Martin Del Potro suffered a shock 3-6 6-4 7-6 (6) defeat to Dusan Lajovic, handing the Serbian the first win over a top 10 player of his career.
Lajovic will next face South Africa’s Kevin Anderson, who reached his first Madrid quarter-final with a 6-3 7-6 (7) triumph over Kevin Anderson of Germany.
Into the last 8, let’s go! ? #MMOPEN pic.twitter.com/poUqWxftf7
— Kyle Edmund (@kyle8edmund) May 10, 2018
Britain’s Kyle Edmund built on his second round win over Novak Djokovic by seeing off Belgian eighth seed David Goffin 6-3 6-3, and will next face Denis Shapovalov, who beat Canadian compatriot Milos Raonic 6-4 6-4.
The final quarter-final will be between second seed Alexander Zverev – a 6-4 6-2 winner – over Leonardo Mayer, and John Isner, who edged Pablo Cuevas 6-7 (9) 7-6 (3) 7-6 (4).
