World number three Rafael Nadal continues his unbeaten streak in hardcourt matches this year with a tough three set victory over defending champion Roger Federer at the Cincinnati Masters 2013 quarterfinals 5-7, 6-4, 6-3. The Spaniard broke serve at a crucial juncture in the second set to force a third set. The momentum went to the Mallorcan’s way throughout the deciding set.
“I think my movement starts to be better, more intensity. I started to put more balls inside on the return, and I started to have more times control of the ball from the baseline with my forehand, something that didn’t happen the first set and a half,” Nadal said. “But the match was there. It was very close. He had a good chance in the second. I think I played a good few points in important moments.”
Nadal has won their three encounters this year. The first two was at the Indian Wells quarterfinals in March and the finals of the Rome Masters in May. By failing to defend the Cincinnati Masters title, Federer’s ranking is in danger of falling to as low as number seven next week depending on the results posted by number six Tomas Berdych and number seven Juan Martin Del Potro who are both currently in the semifinals of this ATP Masters 1000 event.
Despite the loss, Federer said that he’s happy with how he played considering that he was able to provide tough challenge to the world number three.
“I’m happy with my progress along the way,” Federer said. “Could have won tonight, should have won tonight, who knows? But at the end, I think Rafa’s confidence and the way he’s playing at the moment got him through. So for me, I think it was a good step in the right direction.”
