Indian Wells: Rafael Nadal beats Reilly Opelka to reach quarter-finals

Rafael Nadal sealed his place in the quarter-finals at Indian Wells after beating Reilly Opelka in straight sets to claim his 18th straight win.

Spain's Nadal won both sets by tie-break 7-6 (7-3) 7-6 (7-5) as the big-serving American Opelka held his own.

Opelka served nine aces to Nadal's six but the 21-time Grand Slam winner used all of his experience to advance.

Nadal will now face Australia's Nick Kyrgios, who received a walkover after Jannik Sinner withdrew through illness.

At 6ft 11in, Opelka produced some trademark big shots, including a raft of serves that topped the 140 mph mark.

But Nadal withstood the barrage and fired some impressive winners of his own as he targets a fourth title in the California desert.

The world number four is unbeaten in 2022, and just the second player since the beginning of the ATP Tour in 1990 to start a year 18-0 after landing a record-breaking slam at the Australian Open and the trophy in Acapulco last month.

Former world number one Novak Djokovic has done it twice, starting 41-0 in 2011 and 26-0 in 2020.

Elsewhere, Unseeded Serb Miomir Kecmanovic stunned world number six Matteo Berrettini 6-3 6-7 (5-7) 6-4 to set up a quarter-final with American Taylor Fritz.

Kecmanovic absorbed his opponent's power serve in the first set, converting on a break point chance in the fourth game, as a frustrated Berrettini won just eight return points.

But Berrettini, who reached his first Grand Slam final at Wimbledon last year, struck 21 winners and won a tense tie-break to level in the second set.

Berrettini saved two breaks in the eighth game of a tightly fought final set to stay alive but Kecmanovic pounced to break the Italian's serve to love in the final game.

He will next play Fritz, who beat Australian