Rafael Nadal completes comeback job against Diego Schwartzman
Rafael Nadal made light work of Diego Schwartzman on Thursday to reach the French Open semi-final.
Schwartzman was the early aggressor when their quarter-final started on Wednesday afternoon, but Nadal eventually found his rhythm and was in complete charge on Thursday.
Eleventh-seeded Schwartzman achieved something that very few players have done at Roland Garros: take a set off Nadal.
The Argentine won it 6-4 to end the 16-time Grand Slam winner’s run of winning 37 consecutive completed sets at the French Open, but the Spaniard was leading 5-3 in the second set when play was called off due to rain.
However, when play resumed the following day, it was one-way traffic as Nadal took the second set and then won the next two for a 4-6, 6-3, 6-2, 6-2 victory in three hours and 45 minutes.
Rafa into the semifinals. ??@RafaelNadal goes on a mission upon resuming play.
He defeats Schwartzman 4-6, 6-3, 6-2, 6-2 en route to the final four.#RG18 pic.twitter.com/IPImy59IGD— Tennis Channel (@TennisChannel) June 7, 2018
Having struggled on his serve in the first two sets, Nadal was more assured in the second and third sets and rarely gave Schwartzman a look-in.
The Argentine, meanwhile, was broken twice in the third and fourth sets and, although he fashioned a couple of break points in the final game, the Spaniard won on his third match point.
Nadal will face either third seed Marin Cilic or the fifth-ranked Juan Martin del Potro in the last four.
