Spaniard Rafael Nadal’s imperious form on clay came to a shuddering halt when he was stunned in straight sets by Dominic Thiem, in the quarter-finals of the Italian Masters in Rome.
Austrian Thiem had pushed Nadal hard in the final of Madrid last week, and went one better by playing at a consistently high level to record a 6-4 6-3 win over the favourite.
A break of serve in each set was enough for the right-hander, who pulled off some, at times, brilliant shots.
One backhand winner from the back of the court with Nadal at the net was especially memorable.
Nadal was enjoying a 17-match winning streak on clay, winning the tournaments in Monte Carlo, Barcelona and Madrid.
Culled from Ib Times
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