Rafa Nadal , second in the world ranking, qualified for the semifinals of the Mexican Tennis Open, ATP 500 tournament, winning 6-2 and 6-1 South Korean Soonwoo Kwon . In a closer game than the score indicated, Nadal saved nine break points and thus neutralized the persistent Kwon, racket 76 of the world.

Nadal broke in the fourth game of the first set and escaped with a 0-40 in the seventh to close a 6-2 win in 36 minutes. The Asian fought, but could never take the final blow. Grown up, Nadal broke again in the sixth game of the second race to move to a 6-1.

The Spanish player will face in the semifinals the Bulgarian Grigor Dimitrov , seventh preclassified, winner by 6-4 and 6-4 of the Swiss Stan Wawrinka . Dimitrov started with a break in the first game of the initial set; the Swiss placed good right winners to break in the sixth, but could not close the sleeve in his favor. In the second, Dimitrov achieved a break in the fifth game and secured the pass to the top four phase.

"It will be a semifinal with a tough opponent such as Grigor, we know each other well and it will be a difficult game; I will try to be prepared for a battle in which I will need to show my best," said Nadal, who will have to wait to climb in the world ranking.

If he won the Mexican tournament, there would be the possibility that he could return to number one, but the semifinals of Novak Djokovic, current dominator of the list, in the ATP 500 tournament in Dubai will prevent him, at least, until the next 1000 Masters from Indian Wells and Miami.

Local history in Acapulco

On the other hand, the Mexican Renta Zarazúa gave the surprise of the day by beating 6-2, 3-6, 6-2 to the Slovenian Tamara Zidansek , with which she became the first player in her country classified for a semifinal .

This Friday Zarazúa, 270 of the ranking, will face the Canadian Leylah Fernández , from the qualifying tournament, who won 6-3, 7-5 against the Russian Anastasia Potaova .

The Chinese Xiyu Wang , another who won her place in the main draw in the 'qualy', eliminated 6-2, 6-2 to compatriot Lin Zhu, sixth favorite, and will measure semifinals to the British Heather Watson , seventh head series, which beat the American Christina Mchale 6-3, 1-6, 6-1.

According to the criteria of The Trust Project

Know more

  • Rafael Nadal
  • Novak Djokovic
  • tennis

Australian Open 2020: An admirable Thiem defeats Nadal and frustrates his first attempt to reach the 20 greats of Federer

Australian OpenDjokovic reacts to a great Thiem, wins his seventeenth major and places two of Nadal

Australian Open 2020Djokovic narrows the fence on Federer and Nadal