Rafael Nadal’s dreams of winning the Miami Open remain in tact after a straight sets win over Jack Sock sent him to the semi-finals.
The Masters 1000 tournament in Florida is one title that has eluded Nadal during his career – with four final defeats – but this could be his year after an impressive 6-2 6-3 victory against American Sock.
Nadal made the final in 2005, 2008, 2011 and 2014 and that three-year sequence will continue if he can get past Fabio Fognini in their semi-final.
There was little doubt the Spanish No.5 seed would get past Sock with his dangerous forehand helping him to two breaks of serve and the first set in 33 minutes.
The American 13th seed is having a breakout year on the ATP Tour, though, and showcased his own stunning forehand, with some monster hitting giving him a 2-0 lead in the second set.
However, Nadal fended off four break points to avoid going 3-0 down and that proved decisive as the Spaniard then reeled off five successive games on his way to clinching victory.
Italian Fognini is waiting in the next round after he defeated second seed Kei Nishikori 6-4 6-2, to become the first unseeded player in 10 years to reach the semi-finals in Miami.
The 29-year-old, who had already taken the scalps of Jo-Wilfried Tsonga and Feliciano Lopez, added the world No.4 to his list of conquests.
Fognini broke serve in the fourth game en route to a 4-1 lead but Nishikori fought back to 5-4 before losing the next game and with it the opening set.
Nishikori was struggling with a knee injury he sustained in his round of 16 win and found it difficult in the second set, losing his serve three times before going out to the world number 40 in just 68 minutes.
A first Masters 1000 final is a tantalising prospect for the 29-year-old, who admits his run in Miami is a dream.
“At the moment, I’m just happy,” he said in his pre-match press conference. “Of course this is a big, big tournament for me.
“I’m feeling really good on court and other times, so this is the best thing that I can have this week
“I’m happy about my performance. Of course, the result is positive.
“It’s like a dream maybe. I’m just trying to be focused on my game and do my best.”
The victory over Japan’s Nishikori was Fognini’s first on a hard court against a top-five ranked opponent.
