(Reuters) – Rafael Nadal continued to scythe his way through the Shanghai Masters on Thursday, reaching the quarter-finals with a 6-3 6-1 thrashing of temperamental Italian Fabio Fognini, who was playing the day after being handed a suspended ban from two grand slams and $96,000 fine for verbally abusing a female umpire at the U.S. Open.
Rafa needed two minutes over the hour to dispatch Fognini, taking his winning streak to 14 matches since the start of the U.S. Open where he claimed a 16th grand slam title.
Our champ next plays Grigor Dimitrov for the second time in as many weeks, after defeating the Bulgarian in three sets in Beijing.
Lintao Zhang/Getty Images
Lintao Zhang/Getty Images
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Lintao Zhang/Getty Images
Lintao Zhang/Getty Images
Lintao Zhang/Getty Images
Lintao Zhang/Getty Images
Lintao Zhang/Getty Images
Lintao Zhang/Getty Images
Lintao Zhang/Getty Images
Lintao Zhang/Getty Images
Rafa from all accounts above the match was unbelievable.Well done Rafa.
All the best for your game against Gregor.
Love and prayers,
AlaineXXSydneyXXAustraliaXX
An everlasting joy to watch. I feel that whatever Rafa Nadal chose to do he has the determination and grace to d it successfully. A gentle man in every way. Jean Palmer. Winnipeg, Manitoba Canada
YESSSSSSSSS!!!!!❤️❤️❤️❤️
Good. Luck. Been getting up at 4am to watch you. On the tennis channel. Congratulations
Happy for you, Rafael🤗A warrior and a gentleman👍💪👏all the best against
Dimitrov. Stay healthy💕🍀
Incredible performance from Rafa. This was never in doubt. Rafa seems to be getting comfortable with this World #1 thing 🙂
Tomorrow against Dimitrov, please Rafa, more of the same! So much winning, but we’ll never get tired of it!
Hi Mac. Rafa looks so confident and ruthless now I don’t see him having a mental lapse against Dimitrov again this time. So a straightset it should be.
Fast courts are actually helping him. His serve and shots are more penetrating and once he gets a serve back, it’s a hell lot of pressure for his opponent, even Kyrgios and Dimitrov, to keep with him in rallies.
He now robs their time much more than they rob him. I don’t love many things more in tennis than watching him running his opponent around with that wicked spin FH and sharp, flat BH, constructing the point so intelligently.
Also whenever he starts to hit flatter and flatter during the match, I start to feel so much more assured because that means he’s feeling very confident and going for his shots. Plus, fast tennis is very sexy in its own way. 🙂
I am in awe! It’s the best, most efficient hard court tennis I’ve seen Rafa play! The improvement in his serve (both first and second), his backhand (what angels!), and break-point defense is amazing! VAMOS!
Sorry, angles, not angels. 🙂
Congrats Rafa 👏🏻😘 You look and play amazing 😍🤗 Good luck at the quaterfinal. VAMOS CHAMP#1! 🎾💪🏼🥇❤️🍀
Bravo ! Well done.🦁
Rafa looked brilliant again. What a match!
Partido impecable…como siempre Rafa…