Madrid Open: Cameron Norrie & Dan Evans out but Rafael Nadal battles into quarter-finals
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Cameron Norrie had his Indian Wells title defence ended by Carlos Alcaraz earlier this year
Britons Cameron Norrie and Dan Evans lost their respective third-round matches at the Madrid Open on Thursday.
British number one Norrie fought hard but ultimately lost 6-4 6-7 (4-7) 6-3 to rising Spanish star Carlos Alcaraz.
Earlier, Evans lost 7-6 (9-7) 7-5 to world number eight Andrey Rublev.
Alcaraz will face Rafael Nadal, who said he was inspired by Real Madrid's astonishing Champions League win over Manchester City as he saved four match points to fight past David Goffin.
Five-time champion Nadal served for the match at 5-4 in the second set and held match point before Belgium's Goffin rallied to force a decider.
The Spaniard, making his return to the tour after a six-week injury lay-off, produced two perfect drop shots to save two match points in the decisive tie-break, winning the match 6-3 5-7 7-6 (11-9).
Nadal is a lifelong Real Madrid fan and attended Wednesday's Champions League semi-final at the Bernabeu, where his team scored twice in stoppage time and again in extra time to come back from two goals down to book a place in the final.
"Yesterday has been an unforgettable night," Nadal, 35, said.
"The spirit that the Real Madrid team have is just incredible and for me today in some way has been an inspiration."
Norrie battled back from a break down in the second set against Alcaraz to force a decider.
However, the Spanish world number nine, who won the Miami Open earlier this year, saved six of the eight break points he faced to advance.
Norrie wished his 19-year-old opponent Happy Birthday when the two shook hands at the net.
Evans broke his opponent in the first game of the match and had a set point on his serve in the tie-break but lost the opening set.
In the second set, the Briton retrieved an early break before failing to take two chances to go 5-3 up.
It proved crucial as Evans was broken at 5-5 and Rublev served out to secure victory in two hours 28 minutes.
Rublev reacted angrily when he lost the opening game of the match on his serve but he regained his composure and gradually improved.
He will face Stefanos Tsitsipas next after the Greek fourth seed came past Bulgaria's Grigor Dimitrov 6-3 6-4.
Defending champion Alexander Zverev advanced when his Italian opponent Lorenzo Musetti retired with an injury.
Germany's Zverev, who led Musetti 6-3 1-0, will face Felix Auger-Aliassime in the quarter-finals after the Canadian breezed past Jannik Sinner of Italy 6-1 6-2.
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