Masters 1,000 | Nadal comes back against Carreño and remains 'King of Spain'

Rafa Nadal has won almost 84% of his ATP matches. He has 1,002 victories and that is why he can be considered the scourge of any player or group. Young and old alike suffer its fury and it punishes tennis players from many countries. But he is especially expeditious with his compatriots. This Friday he came back from a game that had been uphill against Pablo Carreño, who had won only one set in six meetings and went ahead with a change of strategy, much more aggressive than usual. An inhuman effort that did not translate into success in the end, because the Balearic came back to win by 4-6, 7-5 and 6-1 and lengthen to 22 his consecutive winning streak against Spaniards. He has not lost against one of his countrymen for about five years, when Fernando Verdasco eliminated him at the 2016 Australian Open. His record in national duels is devastating: 134-21.

Thus he got for the fifth time in the semifinal of Paris-Bercy, 74th already of Masters 1,000. He will face Alexander Zverev, who eliminated Wawrinka (6-3 and 7-6 (1)). Carreño runs out of options to be in the ATP Finals, although he could still go as a substitute. The eighth place is for the Argentine Schwartzman, who can already breathe easy despite his defeat against Medvedev. Nadal advances in a tournament that resists him despite the fact that he has stepped into the quarters in his eight appearances.

Almost all of Carreño's decisions in the first set were good. The Asturian did not cut a hair and played each shot with courage. Armed with his effective backhand he went from dominated player who was in his previous duels against Nadal to dominator. On a surface that he is good at and with brutal confidence in his tennis, Pablo marveled at a good version of the winner of 20 Grand Slams, perplexed by the change in attitude of an opponent he knows well, because regardless of having faced Seven times to him, with this one, and having been a pair of doubles, they have trained many times together. Already in the third game Carreño had a break point, but it was in the seventh when the first break was noted in front of Rafa's serve, who had been quite solvent in the tournament. It did not cost the semifinalist of the last US Open to consolidate his advantage, he did it in white, he took a break in the next turn to the rest and sentenced the set with a winner at the turn that left Nadal frozen. At least he had the honor of winning a set against the Spanish ‘cannibal’.

So cold was the one from Manacor that he was about to get into a big mess at the start of the second heat. Carreño put him 0-40, although he traced it back with good services. And what are the things, then he pressed the serve of his colleague without having a long-awaited break option. They were the less solid moments of Pablo, who recovered his tone immediately. The battle was already very even. The world's number two bolted on his serves. He opened the trajectory to prevent his opponent from entering him firmly with the backhand, essential to try the comeback, but he needed to create some more concern on the counter and he could not. Finally he touched the break with 4-3 and his first two chances. However, Carreño did not fall down, saved the situation and controlled it until he got very close to the tiebreaker with a 40-15 that vanished. Nadal released the beast that he has inside and with a spectacular drive he overcame a very tepid climb by the Gijón tennis player to break him and equalize the game.

Moral blow, but not lethal. Hat for a Carreño who did not get depressed and continued to his own, despite the fury of a great champion looming over him, already in roller mode, constant threat. In fact, the fourth game of the third set took him to the rest by strength and legs. Blank, like the one below. Pablo's smile of resignation said it all. It was going to be difficult to get the glove on his partner, who was in a winning trance and did not pity. With a partial 5-0, he finished the hard process that had been found.

Results of the 1,000 Masters in Paris.