Grigor Dimitrov dumps Rafa Nadal out of China Open
The world number 20 arrested a win-loss record of 0-8 against the second seed with a commanding 6-2, 6-4 victory in the last eight in Beijing.
Rafa Nadal was sent packing in the last eight at the China Open by world number 20 Grigor Dimitrov on Friday.
Despite two breaks in the first set, the fourteen-time Grand Slam champion was unable to keep his serve and Dimitrov kept the pressure on for a 6-2, 6-4 victory -- his first over the Spaniard in nine attempts.
Nadal: "You can't lose your serve five times"
"Losing five serves in a row is something that you cannot [do and] win a match like this. That's it," Nadal said after the loss.
Nadal, 30, is approaching the end of his second consecutive season without a Slam title since he won his first aged 19 at Roland Garros in 2005.
The loss in the Chinese capital also puts his qualification for an 11th consecutive ATP Final -- which brings together the season's top eight players -- in doubt.