Tennis, Indian Wells, Nadal beaten, title to Fritz

And to say that it had to be Taylor Fritz, the one at risk of not being able to take the field. Instead, in the final of the Indian Wells Masters 1000 the real injured was Rafa Nadal. The Majorcan, who had a problem with his bibs during the very hard-fought semifinal against Alcaraz, was unable to be competitive and had to surrender in two sets 6-3 7-6 interrupting the extraordinary unbeaten streak at 20. He consoles himself, the left-handed, with the return to the world podium, at number 3, but some concerns remain about the injury that will have to be remedied before “his” season on clay.

Taylor’s tears

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Taylor Fritz would have preferred to lift the trophy after winning an equal battle but that’s okay too. The eternal promise is finally kept right in the home Masters 1000, a couple of hours drive from the villa with the tennis court where he picked up the racket for the first time under the eye of mum May, former top 10. The US finally sees a home player lift the heavy Indian Wells trophy 21 years after the last time it was Andre Agassi who triumphed. “A dream that I did not even imagine would become true – Fritz said in tears -. I did not even know if I would play, I had a very strong pain, to scream”.

The beginning

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With two straight wins in the first game of the first set, Fritz quickly earns two break points. The first is a straight that goes out a little, the second instead goes out a lot and the situation returns to a tie. A backhand winner gives him a third, very tempting opportunity, and the fourth and decisive one is granted by Rafa with a forehand error. Immediately ahead of a break just like against Andrey Rublev, Taylor Fritz then consolidates the advantage to zero. Not only that, the southpaw, who still does not find depth and is not too effective in the service, again gives up the serve and sinks to 4-0 after just 19 minutes of play.

The bib

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Finally in the fifth game he moves the score Rafa who keeps the bar at zero. The expression of the 21 Slam champion, back from three hours and 10 of battle against Alcaraz, is suffering. Some grimaces and the hand that goes to massage the breastplate treated during the semifinal. And at 5-2, then, Rafa calls a doctor and physiotherapist for a consultation to be done after the first set. Meanwhile, Fritz gives one of the two breaks ahead and Nadal gives it back. A gift that is worth the first set. The Majorcan goes to the locker room to be examined, but his gaze is eloquent and his hand continues to touch his sore chest.

The end

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But it is not the time to retire, Rafa returns to the field determined to try, giving his all. In the third game thanks to a drop in tension by Fritz, Nadal sprints ahead by a break: 2-1, but three mistakes in the next game put the American back on track who at 2-2 must in turn save himself from the break for the 3-2 after four occasions offered to the left-handed. In the eighth game Nadal 40-0 gets back 40-40 but with all the pride left, he saves his serve. Spectacular exchange, to Nadal, 36 shots one more exciting than the other and Rafa sees, with a break point, the opportunity to serve for the set. Two forehand and one backhand mistakes allow the world number 15 to go 5-4. Another treatment for the Spaniard who has a decisive game in hand and even saves a match point to stay in the game at 5-5. Meanwhile the wind picks up, and Taylor loses grip: he has to cancel two break points before flying to 6-5. The epilogue is at the tie break with Rafa first under, then forward and finally beaten 7-5. An incredible ride stops for the Spanish 21 Slam champion, ready to go back to earth.