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Rafael Nadal routs Marin Cilic, to play Sam Querrey in Mexican Open final
Rafael Nadal increased his Mexican Open winning streak to 14 matches and 28 sets after beating Marin Cilic to enter the final on Friday
Australian Open finalist Rafael Nadal booked his spot in the Abierto Mexicano Telcel (Mexican Open) final as Sam Querrey upstaged Nick Kyrgios .
Former world number and two-time champion Nadal showed no mercy in his 6-1 6-2 rout of third seed Marin Cilic in Acapulco on Friday.
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Nadal saved all seven break points face as he improved to 14-0 at the ATP 500 tournament, where he has won all 28 sets played.
A 14-time major champion, Nadal will now meet unseeded American Querrey in Saturday’s final.
“I have to be playing well to win like this against a player like Marin, so I’m pleased with the performance,” said Nadal.
“I’m happy with my focus in important moments, saving break points with good shots. I enjoyed the atmosphere here, so it’s great for me to be in the final.”
Querrey stunned sixth seed Nick Kyrgios 3-6 6-1 7-5 in Friday’s late semi-final match.
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All eyes were on Kyrgios after the maligned Australian sent Novak Djokovic packing in the quarter-finals but he came unstuck against Querrey, who fired down 13 aces and converted all four of his breaks.
In women’s play, second-seed Kristina Mladenovic of France beat American Christina McHale 7-5, 4-6, 6-2 and will play against Ukrainian Lesiia Tsurenko, who qualified for the final when Mirjana Lucic-Baroni of Croatia retired with an injury in the first set.
In Sao Paulo, Pablo Carreno Busta, Albert Ramos-Vinolas, Pablo Cuevas and Joao Sousa progressed to the Brasil Open semi-finals.
Top seed Carreno Busta accounted for Fabio Fognini 6-0 7-6 (7-1) and second seed Albert Ramos-Vinolas outlasted Guido Pella 6-4 3-6 6-4.
Uruguayan third seed and two-time defending champion Pablo Cuevas rallied from a set down to beat Diego Schwartzman 5-7 6-4 6-4, while fourth seed Sousa defeated Federico Delbonis 6-3 6-1.
