Looking to get their 2017 campaigns started on a high note, Rafael Nadal and Milos Raonic played an up-and-down three set match in the Mubadala World Tennis Championship. The entertainment value was high for an exhibition match and the fact that Raonic’s former coach Carlos Moya was now part of Team Nadal added to the drama. After one hour and 46 minutes, Nadal emerged victorious, 6-1, 3-6, 6-3.
Nadal pummels sloppy Raonic
The first game of the first set was all Nadal. The Spaniard took the opening game at love thanks to some very loose play from his opponent. While some big serves helped him get back on track, Raonic still struggled—giving up a break on two routine volleys at the net. Down 0-2 at 30-30, the Canadian was the beneficiary of a net bounce that dribbled over the net. That gave the world number three his first look at a break point, but he could not return the favor; Nadal shored up his serve as he won the next three points all on first serves. That pushed the world number nine’s lead to 3-0.
The struggles continued for Raonic, and Nadal was en route to his second straight 6-0 bagel in opening sets. A fourth game came and went with the Canadian getting just one point to go his way. While Raonic’s strength is his ability to win games with his serving and volleying, Nadal kept the 26-year-old pushed back well behind the baseline where he was rendered helpless. It was little surprise that the fifth game also went in the lefty’s favor.
Finally, in the sixth game, Raonic took a game. He held at 15 to get on the board and followed it by reaching double break point in the next game at 15-40. Nonetheless, Nadal continued to force him to be a baseliner and saved both break chances. Two deuces later, the Spaniard missed a crosscourt forehand—breathing a little bit of life back into his opponent before it was taken away by a Raonic backhand blunder on a second serve.
One more backhand error from the big server ended the set. With a 6-1 first set win, Nadal looks primed to advance to the final versus David Goffin.
Raonic bounces back with big set
Raonic opened the second set with a 215 KMPH ace. Another ace closed the first game as he held at 15 to take a 1-0 lead. Nadal responded with some big serves of his own, and he was met with the same result: a hold at 15. The third game was the first of the match to really look a typical Raonic service game; he was whipping huge serves and his volleys actually landed in play. Once more, the game ended with a hold at 15, and the right-hander led 2-1.
After another easy hold, Nadal jumped out to a 0-30 lead in the fifth game. The two competitors split the next two points—giving the lefty two chances to break. Nonetheless, a backhand error from Nadal followed by a big unreturned serve knotted the game up at deuce. Raonic closed out the game with a pair of aces; the first of which was the fastest of the match at 219 kph.
At deuce in the sixth game, Nadal fell victim to a net cord that bounced wide. The Spaniard took carried a forehand long on break point to give his opponent a 4-2 lead in the set. The biggest difference in Raonic’s play in the set was in his execution; once his shots started falling, his play began to pick up, and he stopped letting Nadal throw him around the court with ease. A hold at 15 consolidated the break to grow his lead to 5-2.
Nadal held at 15 to stay in the set, and he would battle to 30-30 before his opponent would reach set point on a backhand angled volley. In true Raonic fashion, the big Canadian closed out the set on an ace out wide, 6-3.
Nadal advances to final in routine fashion
The beginning of the third set was delayed by a floodlight failure, but that lasted only a moment. Without missing a beat, Nadal took the opening game via a hold at 15. Raonic responded with a hold at 30, and the deciding set was all even at one-apiece. Whereas the third game played out like its two predecessors—without a challenge from the returner—the fourth game saw two break points. The first was saved; the second, not so much. An unlucky net bounce in favor of Nadal gave the Spaniard a 3-1 lead and the break needed to win the match.
Once the 30-year-old lefty held serve to consolidate the break, all that was left was the formalities. The rest of the match played out without a break, and Nadal closed out the set, 6-3.
With a 6-1, 3-6, 6-3 victory over Raonic, Nadal will advance to play Goffin tomorrow for the Abu Dhabi title. Raonic will also play tomorrow; he'll face Andy Murray--who lost to Goffin in the other semifinal--for third place.