Rio de
Janeiro (AFP) - World number five Rafael Nadal was ousted in the ATP Rio Open
semi-finals, falling to 45th-ranked Pablo Cuevas 6-7 (6/8), 7-6 (7/3), 6-4.
Uruguay's Cuevas on Saturday denied the 29-year-old Spanish
left hander his 100th career ATP final by outlasting 14-time Grand Slam
champion Nadal over three hours and 28 minutes on his beyond red clay surface.
Cuevas, who fired the last of his 11 aces on the final point of
the match, will play for the title on Sunday against Argentina's 71st-ranked
Guido Pella, who eliminated Austrian fifth seed Dominic Thiem 6-1, 6-4.
Nadal converted only two of 13 break-point chances and made 33
unforced errors against 32 winners while Cuevas, 30, blasted 48 winners against
37 unforced errors.
In the first tie-breaker, Nadal sent a forehand long and double
faulted to squander his first two set points but followed with a forehand
crosscourt winner before Cuevas sent a backhand wide to end the 77-minute
opening set.
Cuevas grabbed a 5-3 edge in the second set but netted a
forehand to surrender a break in the ninth game that led to the second
tie-breaker. Cuevas captured the last three points on two forehand winners and
a netted Nadal forehand to force a third set.
Nadal surrendered an early break in the final set and could not
answer, Cuevas winning all 17 of his first serve points in the third set, seven
of them aces.
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