Dominic Thiem Snaps Rafael Nadal’s 50-Set Winning Streak to Advance to Madrid Final Four

(May 11, 2018) The last person to beat Rafael Nadal on clay, beat the world No. 1 on Friday at the Madrid Open. Dominic Thiem who defeated Nadal last May in Rome, upset the top player 7-5, 6-3. The loss snapped Nadal’s record 50-straight sets won on a single surface.

With the loss, Nadal will fall to No. 2 in the rankings on Monday to Roger Federer.

“Of course I am disappointed,” Nadal said to media. “I tried to fight back but I wasn’t good enough and he was better. Dominic has a lot of potential. Whenever he plays really well, it is difficult to stop him.”

Just three weeks ago in Monte Carlo, Nadal demolished the Austrian 6-0, 6-2. Thiem was back on his feet after taking a month off to heal a broken foot.

Last year the 24-year-old Thiem lost to Nadal in the Madrid final.

“It’s so special, amazing, in his home country and in his living room in Madrid,” Thiem said about defeating Nadal. “It was an amazing match.”

Thiem will face sixth-seeded Kevin Anderson in the semifinals. The South African beat qualifier Dusan Lajovic 7-6 (3), 3-6, 6-3. Andersopn holds a 6-0 record against Thiem, but none of the match have been on clay.

The other semifinal will pit second-seeded Alexander Zverev against young Canadian Denis Shapovalov. Zverev avenged a recent loss in Miami by beating John Isner 6-4, 7-5 while Shapovalov defeated Britain’s Kyle Edmund 7-5, 6-7 (6), 6-4.

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In women’s action, Kiki Bertens reached her first Madrid Open final beating seventh-seeded Caroline Garcia 6-2, 6-2. The  Dutchwoman will meet two-time Madrid titlist Petra Kvitova who beat Karolina Pliskova 7-6 (4), 6-3, in an all-Czech semifinal.

ATP Results

WTA Results

Order of play for May 12, 2018