The world number one dominated the match with a 6-3, 7-6(7) victory over Russia's Karen Khachanov, even though the massive 12,500-capacity stadium saw a lackluster turnout, continuing a trend of poor attendance under the current tournament format.
After for the most part of disappointing attendances so far in the new format in the enormous 12,500-seat stadium, the world number one cruised to victory with 6-3 7-6(7) to prevail upon Russia’s Karen Khachanov.
The sheer excitement following Nadal's win gave the impression that Spain had secured their sixth overall trophy, but it actually just brought the Group B tie to a 1-1 deadlock. Spain eventually sealed a 2-1 win in the early hours of the morning, around 2 a.m., thanks to a 6-4, 7-6 victory by the veteran pairing of Feliciano Lopez and Marcel Granollers over Khachanov and Andrey Rublev.
Spain was feeling the heat after Russia cruised to a 3-0 win over Croatia, the defending champions, on Monday. The pressure intensified when Andrey Rublev fought back to beat Roberto Bautista Agut 6-3, 7-6(0), giving Russia the early lead. This meant the 33-year-old Nadal had no room for error in his showdown against world number 17 Karen Khachanov.
When the pressure is on, there is no one more reliable than Rafael Nadal. Since his debut defeat back in 2004, he has maintained a flawless record of 24 straight singles wins in the Davis Cup, and he had no intention of breaking that streak while representing his home country.
Khachanov pushed Nadal to the brink, particularly during the second set, but the 19-time Grand Slam champion managed to save a set point to secure the win. Following the match, Nadal noted that the new format—which reduced the number of matches per tie from five to three—significantly increases the risk for the players.
Spain's path to the quarterfinals depends on Wednesday's match against Croatia, a team currently struggling after firing coach Zeljko Krajan just two days before their first tie and missing the presence of Marin Cilic. Meanwhile, Canada continues its impressive run, becoming the first nation to secure a spot in the final eight after a historic victory over the United States. Vasek Pospisil, ranked 150th, pulled off a tight 7-6(5), 7-6(7) win over the young Reilly Opelka, followed by a victory for Denis Shapovalov over Taylor Fritz. With this 2-1 win, following their Monday victory over Italy, Canada has claimed the top spot in Group F.
Canada may face Australia in the quarterfinals, as Nick Kyrgios successfully returned from a two-month hiatus to lead his team to a dominant 3-0 sweep of Colombia in Group D.