Fernando Verdasco beats Rafa Nadal to make Miami Open fourth round

Rafa Nadal suffered a three-set defeat by Fernando Verdasco to lose his third round match at the Miami Open.

Fellow Spaniard Verdasco battled through a tough opening set and seemed to be out of the contest after being brushed aside in the second.

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But the second seed wobbled again in the third set and although he saved one match point when serving at 5-2, Verdasco stayed strong on his service to shock his compatriot in a contest that lasted two hours 15 minutes.

After losing to Nadal 13 matches in a row, Verdasco has beaten him in two successive events.

The 14-time grand slam champion said after the defeat that his formerly untouchable game needs work and the mental side may now be his weak link.

"I need to fix again the nerves, the self control on court. It's not a tough issue to fix. I'm going to keep trying," Nadal said.

"I'm practicing with the right attitude, I think. I'm arriving in an important part of the season for me (clay). I didn't want arrive to that part of the season with that loss of today, obviously, but that part of the season will arrive."

I'm practicing with the right attitude, I think. I'm arriving in an important part of the season for me (clay). I didn't want arrive to that part of the season with that loss of today, obviously, but that part of the season will arrive.

Control

Nadal, who will seek his sixth French Open title in a row in two months and bid for his 10th crown overall on the red clay of Roland Garros, says he will work on his control no matter how long it takes to recover his top form.

"I've been able to be under control, control my emotions during, let's say, 90 percent of my matches, something that today is being tougher to be under self control," Nadal said.

"But I'm going to fix it. I don't know if in one week, in six months, or in one year, but I'm going to do it."

Verdasco said he tried to remember how he played in the first set as he fought back after losing the second.

"I tried to play back again as I was the first set. I tried to keep calm and be aggressive, but of course at the same time you cannot be too aggressive," Verdasco said. "It was very windy, and many times you need to adjust."

The 29th seed will play Juan Monaco or Guillermo Garcia-Lopez.

It will be a result that might please Britain's Andy Murray who's in the same half of the draw.

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