INDIAN WELLS, Calif. — Rafael Nadal rallied from a set down and fought off a match point in the third set to beat Alexander Zverev 6-7 (8), 6-0, 7-5 Wednesday and reach the quarterfinals of the BNP Paribas Open in pursuit of a fourth title.
Zverev, an 18-year-old German ranked 58th in the world and in his second full year on the ATP Tour, blew a 5-2 lead in the third when he was serving for the match leading 5-3, 40-30. He made three straight forehand errors to give Nadal the break.
"I am especially happy about the mentality on court, the spirit of fight during the whole match, believing that I can win a match during the whole time even in the tougher situations," Nadal said.