In a match completely unlike his last, Rafael Nadal had to conjure up all the physicality he has built up in the last month to come through against Pedro Cachin.
However, it looked for all the world like it would have been a rout after that first set, with the Spaniard strolling into a 6-1 lead.
With the intensity dropping quite dramatically in the next two sets, he allowed his Argentine opponent to creep back into contention, winning the second-set tie-break.
But in the end, his experience and quality shone through, and he cemented his spot in the Madrid Open Round of 16.
Rafael Nadal outlines tweak which won him the match vs Pedro Cachin
Speaking immediately after his latest win live on Sky Sports Tennis, Nadal was unsurprisingly rather short and sweet with his answers.
After all, this marks the longest match he has endured in a long time, and he can be forgiven for wanting to soak up the atmosphere and get back to resting as soon as possible.
When first asked about his thoughts on his performance, the 22-time Grand Slam champion claimed: ‘Ah well. Some moments good, some moments not good. I found a way to get through.
‘I think even in the third set with some mistakes I was able to be a little bit more unpredictable and that probably changed the match.’
Then asked if his time on court is mainly filled with pleasure or pain, he responded: ‘Now I’m enjoying [playing]. Let’s see how I wake up tomorrow. I don’t know. Day by day, enjoying the fact that I play at home, it means everything to me.
‘I just try my best to keep dreaming and tomorrow is another day to keep dreaming, playing in front of this amazing crowd and that, for me, is everything.’
Rafael Nadal makes a meal of things in Madrid
As aforementioned, after that blistering first set, it was largely expected that this was to be a rather short and succinct match of tennis.
But whether it be a mental barrier or just a lack of physicality, that drop-off in the second set proved pivotal as his afternoon on court was further elongated.
It is far from the outcome he would have wanted, but to have come out on the right side of a three-hour-plus match is a huge positive for the 37-year-old who is just desperate to get minutes in the tank.
And now, with Jiri Lehecka next up on his hit list, the Spaniard has a fantastic opportunity to continue this remarkable run as he seeks to make the quarter-finals, having already beaten Alex de Minaur in a display that earned Andy Roddick’s praise.
Given the calibre of some of the other players left in the draw, there is certainly a chance that he could find his way into the deeper stages of this Masters 1000 tournament, in just his third competition of 2024.
A mesmeric run from a legendary player.
Receive exclusive tennis news and updates twice a week to your mailbox
