Verdasco stuns Nadal in Madrid

15th seed snaps Nadal's 22-game winning streak on clay

Fernando Verdasco: Finally gets the better of his compatriot Rafael Nadal

Fernando Verdasco finally got the better of clay-court king Rafael Nadal at the 14th time of asking to advance to the quarter-finals of the Madrid Masters.

Madrid native Verdasco surprised an out of sorts World No.2 Nadal with a 6-3 3-6 7-5 triumph.
Verdasco broke his Davis Cup team-mate's serve seven times on the blue clay of the Manolo Santana show court and clubbed 31 winners to his opponent's 19 to set up a last-eight clash against Tomas Berdych.
Nadal came into the contest 13-0 in sets on clay against Verdasco, but the 28-year-old, who has enjoyed some strong results on the surface this season broke to take a 4-2 lead, capitalising on some uncharacteristic mistakes by Nadal before eventually serving out the set.
Nadal, who has dominated his countryman in head-to-head meetings, hit back at the start of the second set by breaking in the fourth game to take a 3-1 lead.
But although the number 15 seed broke back in the seventh game, he handed the initiative straight back following a crucial double fault allowing Nadal to coolly serve out the set.
The six-times French Open champion then let a 5-2 lead slip in the deciding set as he twice failed to serve out the match in an error-strewn contest.
And Verdasco powered back into the set producing some of his best tennis to level at 5-5 before sealing a famous win with yet another crashing forehand by breaking Nadal for the third time in the set in just over three hours of gruelling tennis.
The victory also ended Nadal's 22-game winning streak on clay since losing in the Rome final last year to Novak Djokovic.
"After losing so many times against honestly the best player on clay ever, to beat him on clay is the maximum," said an emotional Verdasco. "I don't have words."
Verdasco will now play Czech sixth seed Berdych, who ended the injury comeback effort of Frenchman Gael Monfils, the 12th seed, with a 6-1 6-1 victory.
Monfils was playing for the first time since a March abdominal muscle problem. The flamboyant French player lost serve five times while never earning a break point against Berdych.
Number three seed Roger Federer cruised past Richard Gasquet 6-3 6-2 in double-quick time to advance to the next round of the tournament.
The Swiss ace has now won 42 of his last 45 matches since last year's US Open semi-final loss (to Novak Djokovic) and he also extended his overall head-to-head record over Frenchman Gasquet to 10-2.