RAFAEL NADAL KING OF TENNIS

2017 Indian Wells R3 Rafael Nadal bt. Fernando Verdasco  6/3 7/5

"History says that this tournament works well for me," said Nadal. "I played a lot of semifinals here, winning three times, and played a final a lot of times in the semifinals. When that happens, that means that the tournament adjust well to your conditions."

"I think I played a solid match," said Nadal. "I was very aggressive with my serve, serving well, hitting good forehands, good backhands. I think I played much better today than the first day. It was a good win. I played two horrible games, terrible. That's it. For the rest of the match, I think I played very well."

Photos: Getty Images; AP; BPI; BNP Paribas Open; USA TOAY Sports; The Desert Sun

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