BEIJING — Rafa Nadal moved within reach of his first hardcourt title in almost two years by extracting a modicum of revenge on new Italian foe Fabio Fognini with a 7-5 6-3 win in their China Open semi-final on Saturday.
The flamboyant Fognini became the first man to beat Nadal from two sets to love down at a grand slam when he took out the power-hitting Spaniard in the third round of the U.S. Open last month.
It was one of three wins the unseeded Italian had secured over the 14-times grand slam champion this year but Nadal ensured there would not be a fourth on a chilly day at the National Tennis Center in Beijing.