Miami: Rafa Nadal celebrated his 1,000th tour level match by rallying to victory over German veteran Philipp Kohlschreiber and reach the fourth round of the Miami Open on Sunday.
World No. 31 Kohlschreiber was on fire early, ripping through the first set in only 21 minutes but fifth seed Nadal flipped the switch and turned the match on its head to prevail 0-6 6-2 6-3 on the main stadium hard court at Crandon Park.
It was the first time Nadal had failed to win a game in the first set of an ATP Tour match since 2008, the ATP said.
The 30-year-old Spaniard ignited the near-capacity crowd with a typically determined comeback to clinch his 822nd career victory.
He joins a small group of 11 players headed by Jimmy Connors (1,535) to have played at least 1,000 matches.
“One thousand matches is a lot of matches. Obviously, that’s good news because that says I am having a long career,” Nadal told reporters.
“During a lot of years, I heard that I’m going to have a short career, so it’s something important for me. I remember the first match very well because it was at home in Mallorca. It was my first victory on the ATP and was a great feeling.”
Nadal said he had not done much wrong in the first set against an opponent, who was in the zone.
“He was doing everything good, so that’s sport. I lose the set because he was playing too good. That’s it.
“But a match is long and the positive thing is I held the pressure well this afternoon after a very tough first set. I resisted well in the first few games of the second set and then I think I played a great second and third set.”
While Nadal played in the relative comfort of the late afternoon, Kei Nishikori also took three sets and nearly three hours to advance under a high noon sun, outlasting Spain’s Fernando Verdasco 7-6(2) 6-7(5) 6-1.
Nishikori, the runner-up to Novak Djokovic last year, fired 37 winners but Verdasco, aided by persistent swirling winds, used his varying pace and depth to rattle Japan’s number one, inducing 48 unforced errors.
Milos Raonic withdrew before his match against American qualifier Jared Donaldson, blaming a persistent hamstring injury.
“It’s related to the previous injury I sustained almost four weeks ago… in Delray Beach,” the Canadian told reporters.
Raonic said he would not return to the tour until he felt 100 per cent fit.
“That could be in two weeks, that could be a little bit longer.”
Top seed Angelique Kerber, meanwhile, advanced to the fourth round at the Miami Open on Sunday but eighth seed Madison Keys was sent packing.
On a day when Simona Halep, Svetlana Kuznetsova and Venus Williams also won their third round matches, Kerber did not have it all her own way against 61st-ranked American Shelby Rogers.
The German, however, proved too strong, breaking five times for a 6-4, 7-5 win on the main stadium hardcourt at Crandon Park.
“It’s always good to have close sets, especially when you win them at the end. They give you confidence that you can go out in your next match knowing you can win close matches because you’ve just done it a day ago,” Kerber told reporters.
“You win the match, you’re always happy about your performance.
Keys, in her second event since returning from wrist surgery, was the only seed to lose on Sunday, falling to 72nd-ranked Spaniard Lara Arruabarrena 7-5 7-5.
Third seed Halep took less than an hour to polish off qualifier Anett Kontaveit of Estonia 6-3 6-0 with an aggressive performance that left the Romanian very pleased.
“I think I played my best match of the year,” Halep told the WTA. “I was confident, and knew what I had to do … everything went pretty well for me tonight.
“I felt good when I came to site and was sure that it was going to come together because I work every day. At one point, it has to come.
“I felt the best that I have this year. I can move without pain or anything and I’m confident, which is the most important thing.” Russian seventh seed Kuznetsova, the runner-up last year, stayed on track for another tilt at the championship when she beat American qualifier Taylor Townsend 6-4 6-2.
A week after losing the Indian Wells final to compatriot Elena Vesnina, Kuznetsova’s stronger second serve proved the difference as she was broken just once while breaking her opponent four times.
The next challenge for 2006 champion Kuznetsova will be 11th seed Venus Williams, a three-time Miami champion, who was far too good for Romanian qualifier Patricia Maria Tig 6-3 6-0.
British 10th seed Johanna Konta and Australian 14th seed Sam Stosur also won their third round matches, Stosur earning a date with Halep.
ATP and WTA Miami Open Sunday (x denotes seed):
Men (third round): Rafael Nadal (ESP x5) bt Philipp Kohlschreiber (GER x26) 0-6, 6-2, 6-3; Nicolas Mahut (FRA) bt Guido Pella (ARG) 6-4, 6-3; Jack Sock (USA x13) bt Jiri Vesely (CZE) 6-3, 7-6 (7/0); Jared Donaldson (USA) bt Milos Raonic (CAN x3) — walkover; Fabio Fognini (ITA) bt Jirimy Chardy (FRA) 3-6, 6-4, 6-4; Donald Young (USA) bt Benont Paire (FRA) 7-6 (7/2), 6-4; Federico Del Bonis (ARG) bt Jan-Lennard Struff (GER) 7-6 (7/5), 6-1; Kei Nishikori (JPN x2) bt Fernando Verdasco (ESP x25) 7-6 (7/2), 6-7 (5/7), 6-1.
Women (third round): Angelique Kerber (GER x1) bt Shelby Rogers (USA) 6-4, 7-5; Risa Ozaki (JPN) bt Julia Goerges (GER) 7-6 (7/5), 6-3; Johanna Konta (GBR x10) bt Pauline Parmentier (FRA) 6-4, 6-0; Svetlana Kuznetsova (RUS x7) bt Taylor Townsend (USA) 6-4, 6-2; Venus Williams (USA x11) bt Patricia Tig (ROM) 6-3, 6-0; Samantha Stosur (AUS x14) bt Shuai Peng (CHN) 4-6, 6-3, 7-5; Lara Arruabarrena (ESP) bt Madison Keys (USA) 7-5, 7-5; Simona Halep (ROM x3) bt Anett Kontaveit (EST) 6-3, 6-0.
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