Rafael Nadal vs. Thomaz Bellucci: Score and Reaction from 2016 Olympics

In front of a raucous and partisan crowd, Rafael Nadal knocked off Brazil's own Thomaz Bellucci 2-6, 6-4, 6-2 to reach the semifinals at the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro. 

Per ATP Media Info, Nadal's win was the 800th match victory in his illustrious career. 

This was the first singles match during these games in which Nadal was tested early, even more than during the tiebreak he won over Gilles Simon on Thursday, but he responded as he has so often during the Olympics. He was off his game out of the gate, committing 10 unforced errors and hitting just two winners in the first set. 

Bellucci was not overpowering in the opening set, hitting just 37 percent of his first serves and one ace, but he went 2-of-2 on break points and added eight winners for good measure. That would be the peak for the Brazilian native during the match, though that's a testament to Nadal adjusting after his early deficit.

Tennis is very much an individual sport, but David James of AFP noted the crowd was making its presence felt during Bellucci's first-set win:

Giving the crowd some credit for Bellucci's win takes away from his accomplishment, but it was amazing how stark the difference in noise was for Bellucci compared to Nadal. 

After taking a 5-4 lead in the second set, Nadal was able to break Bellucci's serve to even the match at one set apiece. 

However, the deeper things got into the match, it seemed inevitable that Nadal was going to upend Bellucci's upset bid. Dan Wolken of USA Today did note that the crowd was turning ugly:

Things got to the point where the chair umpire was having to beg the crowd for silence so the players could concentrate. It did eventually settle down before things got out of hand, and when the match ended, the audience was respectful of both competitors in its applause. 

The Tennis Nerds summed up the Bellucci portion of the match:

The 28-year-old Bellucci has always had brief moments when it looked like he was on the verge of doing something great, but he has so rarely been able to put it all together for an entire match. 

For instance, during the third round at this year's Italian Open, Bellucci shut out Novak Djokovic 6-0 in the first set. He proceeded to win just five games over the next two sets, ending his dreams of knocking off the world's best player. 

There was a similar story for Bellucci on Friday, but it would be a mistake to overlook Nadal. The Spanish star is just two victories away from capturing a gold medal after not playing in a match after withdrawing from the French Open in May. 

Playing on consecutive days due to bad weather earlier in the week, Bellucci was fresh in the first set. Nadal showed that his stamina and talent were superior, giving him the edge in the match. 

Nadal still has a lot of work ahead of him to secure a medal, but his run in the Olympics has already gone a long way toward proving there is plenty of gas left in the tank. He may not be as consistently dominant as he was at his peak in 2010, but no one will remember any of that if he walks away from Rio de Janeiro with gold around his neck.