Rafael Nadal reached his first hard-court semifinal of the year by outlasting Jack Sock of the United States 3-6, 6-4, 6-3 at the China Open on Friday.<br />The third-seeded Spaniard had lost before the semifinals in seven previous hard-court tournaments in what has been a disappointing season.<br />His last title on hard courts came in Doha, Qatar, in January 2014.<br />Nadal was more consistent than his American opponent, making 25 unforced errors to Sock's 35.<br />After dropping serve twice in the opening set, he only faced one more break point, which he saved.<br />"For sure, be in semifinals here is a very positive result for me in a very tough tournament, and be able to at least play four matches here is great news for me," he said.
