Rafael Nadal, Serena Williams, Maria Sharapova advance in Madrid Open
Spaniard, who has yet to win a European clay court tournament this season, eases past Italian; Williams and defending champion on course for potential final face-off
Rafael Nadal showed no signs of his recent slump in form as he eased past Italy’s Simone Bolleli 6-2, 6-2 to reach the quarter-finals of the Madrid Open on Thursday.
Women’s top seed Serena Williams and defending champion Maria Sharapova also stayed on course for a potential meeting in the final as they progressed to the last four with wins over Carla Suarez Navarro and Caroline Wozniacki respectively.
Nadal has yet to win a European clay court tournament this season after defeats to Novak Djokovic at the Monte Carlo Masters and Fabio Fognini at the Barcelona Open last month.
Every match I can play on clay before the grand slam rolls around is really important
However, he remains the heavy favourite in the Spanish capital in the absence of world number one Djokovic and will continue his quest for a fifth Madrid title against Bulgaria’s Grigour Dimitrov on Friday.
Dimitrov disposed of Stanislas Wawrinka in the last-16 7-5 (7-5), 3-6, 6-3 just as he did at the Monte Carlo Masters last month.
Tomas Berdych continued his impressive start to the clay court season as he also marched into the quarter-finals with a 7-5, 6-2 win over Jo-Wilfried Tsonga.
Williams extended her unbeaten record this season to 24-0 as she swept aside Spain’s Navarro 6-1, 6-3.
