Rafael Nadal calls Rome QF against Zverev one of his most solid claycourt performances of the year, says mid-match fall was "nothing"

Rafael Nadal brought out some of his best tennis to oust Alexander Zverev from the 2021 Italian Open on Friday. Nadal won 6-3, 6-4 in the quarterfinal match that took two hours, and was perfect revenge for his Madrid loss to the German exactly a week ago.

Rafael Nadal registered some similarly impressive wins en route to his Barcelona Open title recently. But in his post-match presser on Friday, the Spaniard claimed that the Rome win over Alexander Zverev ranks amongst his best performances on clay this year.

Rafael Nadal faced a whopping 10 break points on Friday, but saved all but one of them with some astute defending and shotmaking. Speaking to the media after the match, Nadal highlighted the importance of his mental strength, especially during tough moments. He also claimed he played much better against Zverev than he did against Denis Shapovalov in the previous round.

"I'm one of those who think that when you fight, you usually end up getting something in return," Rafael Nadal said. "That's what I did. Yesterday I fought a lot, I suffered a lot, but I could find a way to win the match. That gave me the opportunity to be on the court today. I played much better today than yesterday. I did a lot of things well, I played more solidly and I think it was one of the most solid matches I have played on clay this year."

Rafael Nadal also took a nasty tumble mid-way through the second set, which caused plenty of concern among his fans. As the 34-year-old rushed forward to meet one of Zverev's drop shots, the sole of his shoe got caught on the service line, leading him to trip and fall.

Nadal slips on the line. Worrying signs #IBI21 pic.twitter.com/PjHOknByWv

— Tennis GIFs 🎾🎥 (@tennis_gifs) May 14, 2021

While it seemed that he might need medical attention, Nadal quickly brushed off the incident and got back to business. During his presser, the 20-time Major champion assured everyone that his fall hadn't caused any serious physical issues whatsoever, even though it did hurt initially.

"Several parts of my body hurt, because I have injuries in different places," Nadal said. "It was in a race, my foot got stuck on the line. I hit my wrist, I got scared a little, but after a few seconds I realized it was nothing."

Rafael Nadal will lock horns with Reilly Opelka in Saturday's semifinal. Despite the fact that Opelka is making his first appearance in the semifinals of a Masters 100 event, Nadal believes the American will be a 'difficult opponent' due to his missile-like serve.

The Opelka kick serve is WILD! 🤯@ReillyOpelka #IBI21 pic.twitter.com/N2rQczhLBN

— Tennis TV (@TennisTV) May 14, 2021

"He is a very difficult opponent to play," said the Spaniard. "He has a great service. I will need to be very focused with my serve and try to have some opportunities for the rest. We will see."

Rafael Nadal says he prefers to play at Roland Garros "under normal circumstances"

Rafael Nadal with his 2020 French Open title

The 2020 French Open was played during September and October amid heavy and humid conditions, which are considered unsuitable for Rafael Nadal's game. But the Spaniard upped the ante and emerged victorious without dropping a set, showing why he is the greatest of all time on clay.

Despite his emphatic win in Paris last year though, Nadal believes that the conditions did adversely affect his game. During his presser on Friday, Nadal asserted that he prefers playing at Roland Garros during its usual summer months.

"The conditions at Roland Garros last year were probably the toughest for me, for my style of play, but hey, it wasn't bad at all," Nadal said. "I played very well and I don't think I lost a set. Sometimes things happen that way, but if you ask me what I prefer, I choose to play under normal circumstances without a doubt."