Defending champion Novak Djokovic advanced to the semifinals of the Madrid Open with Kei Nishikori withdrawing before the match due to a wrist injury. The Serbian will face Spanish Rafael Nadal, winner of David Goffin 7-6 (3), 6-2 in the semis.
In another quarterfinal match, Uruguayan Pablo Cuevas beat German Alexander Zverev 3-6, 6-0, 6-4. This is the first time that Uruguayan Cuevas has reached the semifinals of a Masters 1000 series tournament – he lost in his previous attempts at Indian Wells and Monte Carlo.
In a duel between the players with the most wins this year, Nadal survived the five break points he faced against Belgian Goffin and converted his chances to win his 13th in a row.
It was Nadal’s 32nd win of the tour-leading season.
Goffin, who has 27 wins, was trying to advance to his third final of the season.
Nishikori, seeded sixth, said his wrist was not 100% and he did not want to risk aggravating the injury.
The Japanese, who beat Djokovic in the 2014 US Open semifinals, was playing his first tournament since March, when he withdrew from the Barcelona Open due to the same injury.
A finalist in Madrid in 2014, Nishikori had lost his last 10 matches against Djokovic, including the Madrid semi-final last year.
Nishikori said he will take leave for a few days and will try to recover in time to play in Rome next week.
Djokovic has not reached the semi-finals in an event since winning the title in Doha earlier this year. He lost to Goffin in the Monte Carlo quarterfinals and withdrew from the Miami Open due to an elbow injury.
On the women’s side, defending champion Simone Halep from Romania easily beat Latvian Anastasija Sevastova 6-2, 6-3 to advance to her third final in Madrid. Halep will contest the title against whoever wins the other semi-final, between Russia’s Svetlana Kuznetsova of Russia and Kristina Mladenovic of France. AP
Nadal will play with Djokovic in the semifinals of the Madrid Masters
