Nadal fights back to set up Fognini revenge match

Rafael Nadal came from behind against hard-hitting Jack Sock on Friday to reach the China Open semi-finals and set up a rematch with his shock US Open conqueror Fabio Fognini. The Spanish great, scrapping to recover his form after a tough year, was frequently outgunned by the American's howitzer forehand but he dug deep to see off the world number 30, 3-6, 6-4, 6-3. "Yes, it was an important victory for me. Obviously I finished the match playing better than what I started. It's important because I came back," Nadal said.
"This year I lost a lot of matches when I had an advantage. So to have the chance to win a match when I start losing this one, so it's important for me, too. Nadal had not reached a hardcourt semi-final for more than a year, but he will now play Fognini, who stunned him last month in the US Open third round, for a place in the title match.
"He's a great player. When you play against a great player, especially if you don't play to your best, your chances are lower," Nadal said of the Italian, who beat Uruguay's Pablo Cuevas 6-1, 2-6, 6-2. "If I am able to play my best tomorrow... I am going to have my chances. If not, it's going to be tough. It's simple. Sport is simple." On a cold, bright day, Nadal paid for a slow start when he was broken in the first game. Sock's big forehand kept Nadal under pressure throughout the set, which he ultimately yielded with a double-fault.
But the 14-time Grand Slam-winner hit back by breaking first-up in the second set, and he gave a fist-pump of relief and satisfaction when he eventually levelled the match 6-4. They slugged it out to 3-3 in the third set until Sock blinked first, handing Nadal three break points, and for once the American's forehand misfired as he shanked a routine shot high into the stands. And it was another miscued forehand which settled the quarter-final as Sock, serving to stay in it, hit one long to hand victory to Nadal on his first match point.
In the women's draw, Ana Ivanovic beat Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova 6-3, 7-5 to set up a semi-final with Timea Bacsinszky, who recovered from a first-set 'bagel' to beat Sara Errani 0-6, 6-3, 7-5. Fourth seed Agnieszka Radwanska beat Angelique Kerber 6-1, 6-4 to reach the semi-finals, where she will play either Bethanie Mattek-Sands or Garbine Muguruza.