Nadal crashes out of Rio Open

Rafael Nadal suffered a semifinal loss to Uruguay's Pablo Cuevas in three sets to bow out of the Rio Open.

Rafael Nadal converted only two of his 13 break-point chances he received from his opponent.

World number five Rafael Nadal was ousted in the ATP Rio Open semifinals on Saturday, falling to 45th-ranked Pablo Cuevas 6-7 (6/8), 7-6 (7/3), 6-4. Uruguay's Cuevas denied the 29-year-old Spanish left-hander his 100th career ATP final by outlasting 14-time Grand Slam champion Nadal over three hours and 28 minutes on his beloved red clay surface.

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Cuevas, who fired the last of his 11 aces on the final point of the match, will play for the title on Sunday against Argentina's 71st-ranked Guido Pella, who eliminated Austrian fifth seed Dominic Thiem 6-1, 6-4. Nadal converted only two of 13 break-point chances and made 33 unforced errors against 32 winners while Cuevas, 30, blasted 48 winners against 37 unforced errors.

In the first tie-breaker, Nadal sent a forehand long and double faulted to squander his first two set points but followed with a forehand crosscourt winner before Cuevas sent a backhand wide to end the 77-minute opening set.

Cuevas grabbed a 5-3 edge in the second set but netted a forehand to surrender a break in the ninth game that led to the second tie-breaker. Cuevas captured the last three points on two forehand winners and a netted Nadal forehand to force a third set.

Nadal surrendered an early break in the final set and could not answer; Cuevas won all 17 of his first serve points in the third set, seven of them aces.