"Some moments good, some moments not good, but
I found a way," the 37-year-old Nadal said.
Cachin struggled against his powerful forehand in the first set
as the Spaniard broke twice to take a 5-1 lead before the match
was temporarily paused with a spectator feeling unwell.
When play resumed, the five-times Madrid champion broke again to
win the set.
Cachin started the second on a better note, taking a 4-1 lead
helped by some fine cross-court backhands and, though Nadal
broke twice to make it 5-5, he claimed the set in the tiebreak.
Both players broke early in the third, which stood at 2-2, but
local favorite Nadal then broke twice more to emerge as the
winner with the fans giving him a standing ovation.
"Day by day... playing in front of this crowd means everything
to me," said the 22-times Grand Slam champion.
Nadal next faces Czech Jiri Lehecka, who beat Brazilian
qualifier Thiago Monteiro 6-4 7-6(7) to reach the fourth round.
(Reporting by Chiranjit Ojha in Bengaluru; Editing by Ken
Ferris)
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