Tennis : Rafael Nadal’s Clay Streak Ends with Madrid Defeat

Top-ranked tennis player Rafael Nadal lost to Dominic Thiem, 7-5, 6-3, in the Madrid Open quarterfinals on Friday.

The defeat ended the defending champion’s 21-match win streak on clay. Nadal, who on Thursday broke John McEnroe’s 1984 record for sets won on the same surface by winning his 50th straight set on clay, hadn't lost a set on clay since falling to Thiem at the Rome Open quarterfinals a year ago.

Nadal will lose his world No. 1 ranking to Roger Federer because of the loss. "Of course I am disappointed," Nadal said. ‘"I tried to fight back but I wasn’t good enough and he was better.

Dominic has a lot of potential. Whenever he plays really well, it is difficult to stop him." Nadal brushed aside Thiem, 6-0, 6-2, just three weeks ago at Monte Carlo, where the Austrian was returning after a month off due to a broken foot.

But the fifth-seeded Thiem got the better of long rallies by hitting precise winners, and avoided the costly errors that sunk Nadal’s title defense. Thiem now has three career wins in nine meetings with Nadal, all on clay.

In the semifinals, Thiem will face sixth-seeded Kevin Anderson, who hit 15 aces to down Dusan Lajovic, 7-6 (7-3), 3-6, 6-3.