Rafael Nadal of Spain rallied from a double break in the third set and fended off two match points to defeat Sebastian Korda 6-2, 1-6, 7-6 (3) on Saturday at the BNP Paribas Open in Indian Wells, Calif.
The fourth-seeded Nadal was staring down a 5-2 Korda advantage in the final set before rallying in the two-hour, 29-minute second-round match.
“I thought I was lost today,” Nadal said afterward. “Even if I think I’m going to lose the match, my mindset before returning that 5-2 game is, ‘OK, I am playing bad, I had two breaks, but even if I’m going to lose, I’m going to try to finish the match having some better feelings.’ So I need to fight to find these better feelings in that last game.”
Nadal next faces Brit Daniel Evans, who defeated Argentina’s Federico Coria 6-2, 6-0. They play Monday.
“Good thing tomorrow is a day off. I need to keep practicing,” Nadal said.
Top-seeded Daniil Medvedev of Russia had a much easier time, dispatching qualifier Tomas Machac of the Czech Republic 6-3, 6-2.
Greece’s Stefanos Tsitsipas, the fifth seed, defeated wild card Jack Sock 7-6 (5), 3-6, 7-6 (5).
Eighth-seeded Casper Ruud of Norway defeated qualifier Christopher Eubanks 7-6 (5), 6-2.
No. 10 seed Jannik Sinner of Italy was a 6-3, 6-3 winner over Serbia’s Laslo Djere.
Cameron Norrie of Britain defeated Pedro Martinez of Spain 6-3, 6-3.
Canadian and No. 13 seed Denis Shapovalov rallied to beat Alejandro Davidovich Fokina of Spain 4-6, 6-4, 6-2.
Saturday’s other winners included Nick Kyrgios, Gael Monfils, Jenson Brooksby, Benjamin Bonzi, Carlos Alcaraz, Nikoloz Basilashvili, Reilly Opelka and Roberto Bautista Agut.
–Field Level Media