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Three years ago at Indian Wells, David Nalbandian held four match points over Rafael Nadal before being shut out in the third set. Tonight's quarterfinal unfolded in the same basic shape, with Nalbandian throwing everything into the match and coming agonizingly close before a Nadal triumph, 4-6, 7-5, 6-4.

Nalbandian seemed to have joined the ranks of tennis’ battered old warhorses, but he has put injuries, surgeries, and years behind him to emerge shiny and new, beating two Top 10 players to make the quarters. Facing an opponent who has tested and indeed beaten him in the past, Nadal seemed somewhat unsettled from the start, unsure whether to stand in to return second serves or stay back. That uncertainty translated into missing some makeable second-serve returns, including one at 2-2, 30-30 which might have allowed him to take an early advantage. An unusual number of unforced errors (15 for the first set) and an over-reliance on his bread-and-butter cross-court forehand allowed Nalbandian to use his own best shot, the two-handed backhand, to lethal effect. At 4-5, 30-30 on Nadal’s serve, Nalbandian hit a sequence of sublime backhands before finishing off at the net with a drop-dead volley that even the fleet Spaniard couldn’t get to, taking the set with a clean forehand winner.  
Nalbandian had a chance to immediately capitalize on his advantage, earning two break points at 0-1 from a reeling Nadal. On the second, an amazing return gave Nalbandian a foothold in the point before he netted a makeable forehand on the run. Whether the miss and missed opportunity sowed the seeds of doubt in Nalbandian’s mind or not, from that point, on Nadal dug in and slowly raised his game—as we have seen him do so many times before. He held from 0-30 at 3-4 and began to get some depth and penetration on his shots for the first time. With Nalbandian serving at 5-5, Nadal hit a stunning pass for 15-30 and earned his second break point of the match. Nalbandian, on top of the point, had a momentary lapse of concentration and put a backhand volley into the net. A double fault gave Nadal the break, and he served out the set to 15.  
There was a definite feeling that the tide had turned as the third set began, and it was Nalbandian’s turn to reel, broken in the first game and then broken again for Nadal to lead 5-2. It proved no simple matter for Nadal to serve out the match, however. As Nadal played a curiously passive game, Nalbandian threw caution to the increasingly gusty wind and attacked to break back, save a match point on his own serve, and earn two break points as Nadal served again at 5-4. Once again, however, a momentary mental lapse cost Nalbandian the opportunity as he played a never-on dropshot into the net; Nadal saved the second break point with a big serve before ending the match on a sublime drop volley.  
History repeated itself, and Nalbandian will have to be content with having reminded everyone that he is still, when fit, a force to be reckoned with. Nadal, meanwhile, can only take confidence from having beaten Nalbandian at his best—again.