Rafael Nadal roared into the Rome semifinals on Friday thanks to a straight-sets win over Alexander Zverev.
But the 6-3 6-4 triumph was one of the few non-complicated events to unfold on a rain-soaked day in the Italian capital.
Several quarterfinals remain either unfinished or unplayed at the prestigious clay-court event, while world No.1 Ash Barty was forced to retire in the second set of her match against American teenager Coco Gauff due to an arm injury.
"I hate pulling out of a match halfway through. It's not in my makeup,” said the world No.1, who was leading 6-4 2-1 and approaching a tour-leading 28th match of the season.
"But the pain was becoming too severe, so it was important that I listen to my body and of course try and do the right thing, knowing that we have a Grand Slam in two weeks' time.
"It's something I have had to manage over my career. I think the (wet, heavy) conditions today certainly didn't help that.”
Gauff moves through to the biggest semifinal of her career where she will meet either Elina Svitolina or Iga Swiatek, who will now clash on Saturday morning after their quarterfinal was postponed.
In other women’s results, No.9 seed Karolina Pliskova overcame 2017 Roland Garros champion Jelena Ostapenko in a third set tiebreak after trailing 6-4 2-0 and saving three match points against the Latvian.
Pliskova on Ostapenko: “You can never get ready for some of the balls which she's playing. She's a super dangerous player. To be honest, I don't like to play her. I think nobody really does. She can play horrible, she can play amazing, and sometimes there is not much you can do."
— WTA Insider (@WTA_insider) May 14, 2021
Pliskova, the Rome champion in 2019, will play for a place in the final against Petra Martic, who saw off Jessica Pegula 7-5 6-4.
Nadal avenges Madrid defeat
After losing to Zverev in last week’s Madrid Open quarterfinals, Nadal ensured there was to be no repeat of that result on clay.
He raced to an emphatic 4-0 lead in the opening set and broke midway through the second to run out a winner in just under two hours, a result snapping a three-match losing streak to the German.
“I played much better than yesterday," said Nadal, who was forced to save match points against Denis Shapovalov in the third round.
"I think I played one of (my) more solid matches on clay this year against a very tough opponent. It's a great victory for me."
Nadal, gunning for a 10th title in Rome, will take on surprise semifinalist Reilly Opelka, who saw off Argentine qualifier Federico Delbonis 7-5 7-6(2).
"I am surprised. Clay is not really my thing," said the world No.47, who has progressed to his first ever ATP Masters semifinal. "It is probably just a fluke, but I’ll run with it."
In unfinished men’s results, Stefanos Tsitsipas led Novak Djokovic by a set and a break before the rain fell too heavily over the Foro Italico.
The resumption of that match – which Tsitsipas leads 6-4 2-1 – will open the Saturday schedule on Rome’s Centre Court, at the same time another quarterfinal between seventh seed Andrey Rublev and Italian Lorenzo Sonego, which was yet to begin on Friday, takes place on Grandstand.
The winners of those matches will meet in a semifinal to be staged on Saturday evening.