Djokovic and Murray cruise

Many matches won on this court as well helps me to be more comfortable starting the match and playing in it, as well’.

Unfortunately for Raonic, the season that started out so promisingly – the Canadian made the quarterfinals or better at six of his first eight events in 2015, including a quarterfinal appearance at the Australian Open, a runner-up finish to Federer in Brisbane and the aforementioned victory over Nadal in Indian Wells to reach the semifinals – was derailed by a foot injury which caused him to miss the French Open to have surgery.

It would indeed be a fine game of huge contrasts: Karlovic’s serve and volley game-dynamic, explosive and exposing-against Nadal’s searing return-of-serve winners, running passes and baseline resilience.

In the deciding tiebreak Nadal came up with a huge passing shot at 3-3, and finished the match with a few timely put-away volleys and on match point a passing shot that Karlovic could only get a racquet frame on.

“Play against Karlovic and get broken in the 1st game is like a bucket of cold water”.

The third set would unfold with equally fine play and with not a break point in sight.

Rafael Nadal faced the big-serving Ivo Karlovic on Wednesday in Shanghai’s Masters and was down 4-5 in the first set with the giant Croat, who just broke the record for most aces in history, primed to serve it out and perhaps continue Nadal’s season of discontent. It was lively, dynamic and tense, with nearly 100 net plays between them.

But after many false dawns, is Nadal finally on the right track? I knew that he’s talented…I’m aware of the mental edge that I might have over a certain amount of players, and I try to use that. The only negative thing was the first game of the match.

A surprising first set featured three service breaks.

‘In terms of level of concentration and attitude and control of my emotions, it was a fantastic match.

Gilles Simon responded to losing the first set to Leonardo Mayer by recording a 6-7 (0-7) 6-4 6-2 win.

‘I had the control of the emotions, I have the control of nerves, I had the control of the point a lot of times. That’s the most important thing for me today’.

Top-ranked Djokovic, fresh from his sixth China Open victory in Beijing, breezed past Martin Klizan 6-2, 6-1 as he seeks his ninth title of a year in which he won three of the four Grand Slams.

Next up for the Spaniard is Milos Raonic, who also prevailed in a third-set tiebreaker over Roberto Bautista Agut.

The 28-year-old Djokovic will now face the victor of the match between Spaniard Feliciano Lopez and Belgian Dominic Thiem.