Rafael Nadal stopped a three-match losing streak to Alexander Zverev with a dominant 6-3, 6-4 win against the German on Friday, advancing to the Italian Open quarterfinals.

Zverev had defeated Nadal in straight sets a week ago at the same point in Madrid, but their most recent encounter went the Spaniard's manner from the outset.

Nadal stormed to a 4-0 lead in the first set and saved all eight break points he faced in the second, aiming for a record-extending 10th Rome triumph.

“I played better than Madrid. “The conditions are different,” Nadal added, referring to the fact that Zverev was able to dominate more with his serve due to the high altitude of the Spanish city. “These are slightly more usual situations. I was able to exert a little more control.”

It was a sharp contrast to Nadal's three-set comeback victory against Denis Shapovalov the day before, in which the Spaniard saved two match chances.

Big-serving American Reilly Opelka, who reached his first Masters' semifinal with a 7-5, 7-6 (2) triumph over Argentine qualifier Federico Delbonis, will face Nadal in the semifinals.

In the women's competition, 2019 Rome champion Karolina Pliskova defeated 2017 French Open champion Jelena Ostapenko 4-6, 7-5, 7-6 (1) to go to the semifinals against Petra Martic. Martic defeated Jessica Pegula 7-5, 6-4 in her first match since acquiring former French Open winner Francesca Schiavone as her instructor.

Ashleigh Barty, the world number one, retired because of injury barely two weeks before Roland Garros. Top seed Barty, the 2019 French Open winner, was ahead 6-4, 2-1 when she paused her play against American Coco Gauff to take treatment.

According to the WTA, the Australian sustained a right arm injury.

Nadal's first major concern came when he fell over the service line while sprinting down a drop shot while serving for the opening set.

As Nadal collapsed onto the clay and slid over onto his back, the 2,500-person crowd let out a collective gasp.

Zverev climbed over the net to check on the 20-time Grand Slam champion after sending Nadal's reply away for an easy winner - the Spaniard still managed to get the ball over the net.

Nadal stood up, brushed himself off, and finished the match with his back and even his headband plastered in clay.

“Some lines are taller than the rest of the court, so touching the line is dangerous,” Nadal explained.

Zverev, the 2017 Rome champion and last weekend's winner in Madrid, had several chances to recover from an early break in the second set, but Nadal stepped up every time and finished it off on his first match point with a superbly executed serve-and-volley.

“I played a pretty good match, with not too many errors – playing in the manner I had to,” Nadal remarked. “It's a big win for me against a fantastic player.”

The 6-foot-11 (2.11-meter) Opelka, who was previously unknown for his clay-court tennis, dominated Delbonis with 18 aces to earn his fourth straight-set victory of the week.

“I'm taken aback. “Clay isn't my thing - it's not exactly an American thing,” Opelka said. “It's most likely a coincidence. But I'm ok with it.”

Opelka survived all four break points he encountered. But it wasn't simply his serve that proved decisive.

In the penultimate game before the tiebreaker, the 47th-ranked Opelka delivered a brilliant slice volley drop-shot winner and then performed a tough backhand cross-court passing shot to establish the only match point he required.

Opelka arrived in Rome on a six-match losing run, which includes a battle with COVID-19.

“I wish I can use it as a justification, but I just didn't play well the first ten weeks of the season. “It had nothing to do with COVID,” Opelka explained. “Obviously, after losing eight weeks in a row, the only thing you want to do is train, not acquire COVID, and be trapped indoors for 212 weeks. But I suppose it all figured out.”

Opelka is a "huge challenge," according to Nadal since he "has practically an unreturnable serve."

“I must be ready to accept (surrendered wins) and be patient on the comeback,” Nadal remarked.