Rafael Nadal has broken John McEnroe's record for consecutive set wins on a single surface, in advancing into the quarter-finals of the Madrid Tennis Open.
Nadal beat Argentina's Diego Schwartzman 6-3 6-4 on the clay to take his winning set streak to 50 and eclipse McEnroe's total which the American achieved on carpet in 1984.
Rafa Nadal. Photo: All Rights Reserved
Nadal, who is looking for a sixth career Madrid Open title, broke Schwartzman in the sixth game of each set and appeared to be on course for a comfortable win.
Nadal will now face the player he beat in last year's final, Dominic Thiem, after the fifth seed came from a set and a break down to edge out Croatian Borna Coric 2-6 7-6 (7-5) 6-4.
Earlier, World No.6 Juan Martin del Potro crashed out after Serbia's Dusan Lajovic fought back from a set down to beat the Argentine 3-6 6-4 7-6 (8-6) in the third round.
-Reuters
