MASON, Ohio – Eighth-seeded Rafael Nadal lost to fellow Spaniard Feliciano Lopez 5-7, 6-4, 7-6 (3) in an match in the Western & Southern Open on Friday.
Nadal, coming off a rain-delayed match that ended at 12:43 a.m., fell behind 3-1 in the third-set tiebreaker and never recovered.
"I was there during the whole match with the right intensity, with the right attitude, doing the things that I have to do, trying to be more aggressive, trying to go to the net more often," Nadal said. "That's what I did. But today I played against an opponent that played a fantastic match."
Lopez will play Roger Federer, the six-time tournament champion who beat Kevin Anderson 6-1, 6-1 in only 55 minutes to reach the quarterfinals.
(Sources from Philstar.com and Philippinemavericks.com)