Rio Open 2014: Rafael Nadal saves two match points before defeating Pablo Andujar in semifinals

Pablo Andujar

After holding serve in the opening game of the third set, Andujar stepped up. Nadal countered effectively with some strong serving and brilliant returns, and overcame a scare to level the score.

Andujar overcame the disappointment of not converting a break point, and continued playing strongly. Nadal stepped up too, but it wasn’t good enough to prevent Andujar from taking a 2-1 lead.

Again, it was Andujar who was the aggressor. He took full advantage of Nadal’s second serves and got an opportunity to break again. Nadal was resilient, and showed his authority with the right serves and shots at the right moment, and held on for 2-2.

At 30-30 in the next game, Nadal had an excellent opportunity to get to break point, with the whole court to aim for, but he went for the sideline, and missed it, giving Andujar game point. He converted it with a superb drop volley, wrong-footing Nadal.

Nadal looked to be in control in the next game, but a second time violation made him lose his first serve and a double fault gave Andujar a look at 40-30. But Nadal served well and got himself out of trouble to level the scores at 3-3.

In apparent command of the game at 40-15, Andujar lost the plot. Nadal finally played like the champion he is, and made Andujar run from end to end. He gained a break point, and controlled the point right from the start and pulled the trigger after cornering Andujar to the right side, to give him what looked like a decisive break.

But Andujar still wasn’t out of it. He got a couple of opportunities to break right back, and used his wide angled forehand to hit a solid winner off Nadal’s serve and take the game. A quick hold followed for Andujar, which left Nadal serving to stay in the match.

Nadal held his nerve and played clinically to fight away a determined Andujar. He was down 15-30 but he used his fail safe ploy of attacking Andujar’s backhand and held on for 5-5.

Andujar had no trouble holding serve on his own. This time, Nadal didn’t give him a chance as he raced away and forced a tie break to decide the match.

What followed was one of the most incredible passages of play so far this year and one of the rare times when Nadal has been pushed really really hard to get a victory on clay. The tie-break was nerve-racking for both sets of fans and the general crowd, as it swung one way and the other.

Both players initially struggled to gain points on their serve and then struggled to get an advantage on the opponent’s serve. There were mini breaks exchanged back and forth, with each player producing one brilliant shot after the other. Nadal saved two match points, and squandered three of his own, before he reached his fourth match point at 11-10, and it was the first one on his serve.

He won the match as Andujar fired one into the net, and Nadal’s reaction said it all. He was below par throughout the match, was clearly having some sign of trouble with his back, but his indomitable spirit carried him through.

With this victory, Nadal has made it three finals out of three tournaments in 2014 and 17 out of 20 finals since he made his return in February last year. He now faces Alexander Dolgopolov for a shot at the Rio title.