Rafa Nadal’s Roma Show: He saved two match points in an epic three-and-a-half hour battle

The champion nine times Rafa Nadal I had to fight on Thursday to defeat the Canadian Denis Shapovalov In a match, the round of 16 matches Masters 1000 di Roma That lasted 3 hours and 30 minutes. The Italian Open, the second seed, won 3-6, 6-4, 7-6 (7/3) over the 13th seed

“It was a really tough match, the scoreboard was against me almost the whole time, but I was there, I was fighting the whole time, I didn’t give anything,” said the 34-year-old Spaniard after his victory. Deposit it in 97 fourth in the ATP Masters 1000 Quarter-finals.

The King of dirt bricks Trailing 0-4 in the first set and 0-3 in the second set. Shapovalov He could also break 3-1 in the third set, however Nadal He promptly recovered and continued despite having to raise both match points to force a tie. That way, the Spaniard’s experience in moments of high pressure paid off against the 22-year-old who defeated him in their first meeting in Montreal in 2017.

“It’s an important victory for me. The 20-time Grand Slam winner said,” To be able to win games like today, long matches, “adding: “Being able to win these kinds of matches against young players gives me confidence in my body.”

Rafa Nadal needed 3 hours and 30 minutes to win on Thursday (Reuters)

Now, he will face the third seed over the current German world Alexander Zverev, Sixth workbook, or Japanese Ki Nishikori To obtain a place in the semi-finals. Nadal Lost to the German In the quarter-finals of Madrid for the Masters last week.

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With the purpose Shapovalov It was a “hard defeat” with only a difference of “one or two points” in a left-handed confrontation: “It’s a tough defeat, but who’s going to give me the shit for losing to Rafa?” Al-Kindy commented. Won his only title at the ATP Championship in Stockholm in 2019.

This is not the first time that Rafa has done so. I am not the first person to lose with match points to his favor. This is the reason why he won so many matches on clayto. I mean he’s clearly an amazing player. No doubt about that, is difficult. It sure does well with pressure in those moments. “But I’m definitely happy with my game, in relative terms, against the best player on this rooftop,” Shapovalov said.

For his part, world number one Novak Djokovic also reached the Masters quarter-finals this Thursday, beating in straight sets to Alejandro Davidovic Fukina in front of the spectators in Foro Italico. The five-time Roma champion won 6-2 6-1 in 70 minutes against the 48th-seeded Spaniard, with a capacity of 25% of his energy, for the first time amid an easing of Covid-19 restrictions.

Read on:

Federico Delbonis confirmed his brilliant present, eliminated Felix Auger Aliassim, and advanced to the quarter-finals of the Roma Masters.
Short and Powerful: Serena Williams’ bizarre response to Club Podoroska after the match

With information from Agence France-Presse

Amber Cross

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