ATP Cincinnati: Nadal sets up Kyrgios clash

Rafael Nadal has booked a mouthwatering quarterfinal clash with Nick Kyrgios, the pair both forced to play twice after rain interrupted play on Day 4 of the Cincinnati Masters.

In an early start, Nadal eased past fellow Spaniard Albert Ramos-Vinolas. After a tight first set, Nadal cruised through the second to take the match 7-6(1) 6-2.

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It wasn’t so easy for Nick Kyrgios, who needed three sets to find a way past big serving Croat Ivo Karlovic. With the match finely poised from the night before, Karlovic edged the opener before Kyrgios hit back to secure the 4-6 7-6(6) 6-3 win.

Kyrgios will play Nadal in today’s final match.

There were no such labours for John Isner, Grigor Dimitrov or David Ferrer.

Isner, who was stunned in the opening round of the Rogers Cup, seems to have rediscovered his form in Cincinnati. The big serving American needed 90 minutes to wrap up a 7-6(4) 7-5 win over wildcard Jared Donaldson. Dimitrov, meanwhile, was in emphatic form against Yuichi Sugita. The Bulgarian dispatched the world No.46 6-2 6-1 in less than an hour.

In the day’s penultimate match, David Ferrer exposed Dominic Thiem’s frailties on the hard court with a straight sets win over the third seed. Ferrer needed just one hour 16 minutes to down the Austrian 6-3 6-3 and book his place in the semifinals.