Cuevas stuns Nadal in Rio Open

Uruguay’s Pablo Cuevas defeated Spain’s Rafael Nadal, the top seed, 6-7 (6-8), 7-6 (7-3), 6-4 in the semifinals of the Rio Open.
“I’ve had three straight matches which I’ve lost and been just a few points from winning, like in Australia, the same in Buenos Aires, the same here. A little bit of luck helps. Although I don’t believe in it. Normally, the guy who plays best has luck and I guess it wasn’t me,” Nadal, the world No. 5 and 2014 Rio Open champion, said after his loss.
Nadal, a 14-time Grand Slam champion and nine-time Roland Garros champion, said “the taste in my mouth is not good” after failing to defend his titles in Buenos Aires and Rio de Janeiro, where the tournaments are played on clay, his favourite surface.
Cuevas, the world No. 45, played aggressively and managed to come away with points whenever he went to the net.
The Uruguayan had nine aces and committed fewer errors than Nadal, who said Cuevas fought “to the end” and was “good mentally.”
Cuevas will meet Argentina’s Guido Pella in the final on Sunday.
The Rio Open, an ATP World Tour 500 event that is played at the Jockey Club Brasileiro and will pay out more than $1.3 million in total prize money this year, is the biggest men’s professional tennis tournament played in South America in terms of ranking points.