AFP, Madrid :
Rafael Nadal said on Thursday he drew inspiration from Real Madrid’s heroic comeback against Manchester City less than 24 hours previously as he survived a scare from David Goffin, saving four match points en route to a tight 6-3, 5-7, 7-6 (11/9) victory in the Madrid Open.
The win kept alive Nadal’s quest for a record-extending sixth title in the Spanish capital and earned him a spot in the quarter-finals, where he faces his compatriot Carlos Alcaraz.
Seventh seed Alcaraz celebrated his 19th birthday with a battling 6-4, 6-7(4/7), 6-3 over British world number 11 Cameron Norrie.
On Wednesday, Real scored in extra time to stun City 3-1 to set up a Champions League final with Liverpool later this month.
Nadal, a 21-time major champion, was contesting just his second match after a six-week break due to a rib injury and rebounded from tricky moments during his showdown with Goffin, who has a career-high ranking of seventh but is currently down to 60 in the world.
Nadal had to recover from an early break before clinching a 46-minute opening set.
The Spanish third seed held two match points and served for the second set but was stretched to a third by Goffin.
