Rafael Nadal makes Madrid Open rival's dream come true in heartwarming moment
Rafael Nadal showed a touch of class after beating Pedro Cachin at the Madrid Open.
Rafael Nadal showed his classy side by giving Pedro Cachin a moment to remember after beating him at the Madrid Open. Nadal worked hard to earn to a three-set victory over his Argentine opponent to set up a meeting with Jiri Lehecka in the round of 16.
Nadal was in full control early on, with the Spaniard racing to a comfortable 6-1 triumph in the opening set. He was pegged back when Cachin levelled up in the second set after forcing a tiebreak but Nadal regained the upper hand in the third, sealing a 6-1 6-7 6-3 victory.
There was a heartwarming moment after the match as Nadal and Cachin exchanged pleasantries at the net. The latter, who was clearly starstruck, asked Nadal if he could keep one of his shirts or a towel as a souvenir and the 37-year-old duly obliged.
"Thank you very much, you fulfilled my dream, thank you," said Cachin. "I don't know if you can but I want to ask you, can I keep your shirt or towel or something?" Nadal replied: "Yes, I'll give it to you now, it would be more necessary. Good luck with everything."
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Nadal fired 14 winners and made just nine unforced errors in a dominant first set to establish an iron grip on the contest. However, the tide turned in the second set as Cachin settled into the match before edging a tiebreaker to give himself a fighting chance of victory.
Both players refused to give an inch in the decisive third set, with Cachin saving two break points to maintain his hopes of securing a famous win. However, it did not take long for Nadal's quality to shine through as he eventually found an opening and held firm to claim the spoils for himself.
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"I had good moments, some bad moments," said Nadal afterwards. "I somehow found a way to get through. In the third set, even with some mistakes, I was able to be unpredictable and that changed the match. I'm enjoying playing, let's see how I wake up tomorrow.
"Playing at home means everything to me. Tomorrow is another day to keep dreaming and playing in front of this amazing crowd, that means everything to me."
Nadal will be hoping to secure his place in the Madrid Open quarter-finals with another commanding victory over Lehecka on Tuesday. The 22-year-old made it through by cruising past Brazilian qualifier Thiago Monteiro, who shocked Stefanos Tsitsipas earlier in the tournament, in straight sets.