Rafael Nadal Battles Back From Match Point Down

Rafael Nadal was forced to save a match point in the second set before coming through to see of Julien Benneteau in three sets.

The world number one struggled during the opening set as his serve continued to cause him some more problems, being broken in the opening game to open up a 2-0 lead.

But Nadal hit back in the fifth game as he broke to get the set back on serve at 2-3 before holding his serve to level the set. While Nadal did continue to struggle with his first serve percentage the next four games went with serve and they were still locked together at 5-5.

But after some forehand errors from the Spaniard he handed Benneteau a second break before holding his own serve to take the opening set 7-5.

Into the second and it was Nadal who struck first as he broke the Frenchman in the opening game but he couldn't hold onto that lead as Benneteau broke two service games in a row to once again move ahead.

But Nadal dug deep again and broke in the fifth game to get the set back on serve and a tie break was needed to decide the second set.

5-3 up Nadal looked in control of that tie break but s poor forehand saw him hand the mini break back to the Frenchman, who then went on to hold his serve to lead 5-6 and set up a match point.

But Rafa raised him game to fight off the match point before going on to take the breaker 8-6 and level the match at a set a piece. Nadal called for the trainer at the end of the set for some treatment on a blister but returned to the court for the third set.

The final set was one way traffic from the Spaniard as his serve improved and he began taking his shots with more confidence and conviction as the Frenchman's challenge faded away.

Benneteau called the trainer twice in the third set for cramping and he struggled to stay with Nadal as he finally found some rhythm. He finally wrapped up the match 5-7, 7-6(8-6), 6-2 in two hours and forty eight minutes.

Speaking to the ATP after the match Nadal said: "I think he played great; he played very good tennis. Especially in the beginning I wasn't playing bad; I was playing not perfect, but well.

"He was playing really well, very aggressive, very good shots from his backhand, even if he arrive in not very good position. His serve works very well. [It] was a very difficult match."

He will now face Marcos Baghdatis for a place in the semi final as the Cypriot saw off Wimbledon finalist Tomas Berdych in straight sets.

Baghdatis had twelve break point chances during his clash with the seventh seed but could only convert on two occasions for a single break in each set to win 7-5 6-4.

FemaleFirst Helen Earnshaw