Rafael Nadal is two wins away from claiming the China Open title after seeing off Jack Sock 3-6 6-4 6-3 in the quarter-finals of the tournament in Beijing.
The 14-time Grand Slam champion suffered an early blow in the first set when he lost serve after initially saving two break points in the third game.
Nadal came close to breaking back, but Sock managed to prevent the Spaniard from converting on four break-point opportunities, and the American eventually broke again to win the set.
After going a set down, Nadal started the second in positive form by breaking his opponent at the first time of asking.
From then on, games went by way of serve, with neither player able to create a break point until Sock came close with Nadal 5-4 up, but the Spaniard managed to hold and draw level on sets.
It was a tight affair in the third and final set, with both players holding serve, but it was Nadal who found the breakthrough to go 4-3 up before seeing out the match with another break point.
Danielle Joynson
