Nadal reached the four aces at the Masters in Shanghai

Photo: Andy Wong, Associated Press
Rafael Nadal has signed the 870e victory of his career Friday in the quarterfinals of the Masters of Shanghai.

Rafael Nadal joined Andre Agassi on the seventh rank in modern history in terms of wins, Friday, when he defeated the Bulgarian Grigor Dimitrov 6-4, 6-7 (6), 6-3 in the quarter-finals of the Masters in Shanghai.

It was the 870e victory of the career of the Spanish. Nadal has also increased to 15 its series of triumphs after lifting the title of the China Open last week. In Beijing, he had defeated Dimitrov in three sets in the semi-final.

Nadal has not been the victim of a break in service in Shanghai.

Dimitrov has forced the holding of a third set when he erased a deficit of 4-2 to claim the second set in the tiebreaker.

In the third set, Nadal has preserved a ball break in the fifth game — the only chance of breakage of the Bulgarian during the match, before breaking the service of his opponent in the sixth game to set the table for his historic victory.

“I’m very happy to have won as many consecutive matches,” said Nadal. Win International of the United States, Beijing and be in the semi-finals here… I have to keep my concentration and my rhythm. We’ll see if I can continue on my success tomorrow [Saturday]. “

Nadal will meet the iron in the semi-finals with the 4th-seeded, Marin Cilic. And if he does, he will participate in a second final on the circuit of the ATP in as many weeks.

On the other hand, Juan Martín del Potro has rebounded and defeated Serbian Viktor Troicki 4-6, 6-1, 6-4. Del Potro will face in the semi-finals Switzerland’s Roger Federer, who has beaten in the last match at the program Friday, the French Richard Gasquet 7-5, 6-4.

Cilic found himself in the square of aces for the first time in his career in Shanghai with the Spanish Albert Ramos-Viñolas 6-3, 6-4.

Ramos-Viñolas has slowed down to 21 the series of games without a break in service of Cilic in the surprise in the sixth game of the second round.

“I was a little frustrated with myself for having been unable to play good tennis at this time,” said Cilic.

Del Potro has stumbled on the court at 2-2 in the third set and tried, instinctively, to break his fall with his left wrist. The Argentine, who has been operated on both wrists, has discussed with a therapist after you have shaken his wrist repeatedly.

“I hope this is not too serious, said Federer about del Potro. He has already had health problems and it is the reason why he is worried, and has reason to be. In the end, it doesn’t change anything for me, I’ll be ready to jump on the field, in order to get my revenge International in the United States. “

Del Potro broke Troicki in the fifth game en route to his third semi-final of the season after Delray Beach and International in the United States. After the meeting, however, he was transported to the hospital to have a test of magnetic resonance imaging on his sore wrist.

“I don’t know what is the state of my wrist after my fall, was entrusted to del Potro before leaving for the hospital. I felt an acute pain at the time, but I continued to play, just to make cuffed cut off to complete the game. I am going to go to the hospital to undergo an imaging test, and see what the doctors are going to recommend me. I will then take a decision for tomorrow [Saturday]. I would like to be able to play and be at 100 %. “

Jorge Viale, the agent of del Potro, then issued a message on Twitter in which he said that his client has suffered ” a contusion to the wrist “, but taking care to specify that ” more serious problems are now dismissed “.