Rafael Nadal meets Tommy Robredo on Wednesday in the 2013 US Open quarterfinals. The match is slated to begin at 9 p.m. ET. Watch the live stream HERE or HERE.
Nadal continues his incredible winning streak on hard courts. He came back from dropping his first set of the tournament on Monday to Philipp Kohlschreiber to win in four sets.
Robredo, meanwhile, dealt Roger Federer a huge upset on Monday by beating the Swiss veteran in three sets.
Besides their country, Robredo and Nadal have at least one thing in common - both men returned this year from injuries. Nadal always believed his fellow Spaniard would eventually return to top form.
"He was starting another time," Nadal told ESPN, "when I was starting another time. I never had any doubt about Tommy.
"The beginning, when he was coming back, he didn't win a lot of matches in Chile, Sao Paulo, in Acapulco, I was talking with my coach. I said, 'He will be there at the end of the season because he's ready to work and a serious player.'
"... It's unbelievable what he's doing after a year without the chance to play tennis. He's not younger anymore. To be back at the level he's playing, you feel the passion and the love for the sport. That's always a great example for the rest of the players and a great example for kids."
Nadal also touched on how his time away from tennis to rehab his knee reinvigorated his love for the game.
"I think that motivation [was] the excitement to be back on the tour, the spirit and the passion for the sport," Nadal said. "After a period of time that you were not allowed to do what you really want to do, you are able to come back with very, very fresh mentality, knowing what you have to try to do to be competitive. And that's what I tried."
Nadal has won all six of their career meetings. They last faced each other in 2009 at Paris, where Nadal won in three sets.
*Stats via MatchStat.com.
