Nadal leaves Rome limping after losing to Shapovalov

taketonews

Rafael Nadal will not be able to defend his title in Rome. the canadian Dennis Shapovalov he eliminated him in the round of 16 by 1-6, 7-5 and 6-2. But the worst was not the defeat but the pain in that chronic left foot injury who reappeared in the third set. The Balearic finished the game limping. A hard blow at the start of Roland Garros next May 22.

“It’s permanent pain, sometimes more and sometimes less, but today was crazy. No matter how much experience I have, it’s hard to manage what I feel now,” said the Majorcan tennis player, minutes after his defeat.

“Everything is very difficult. Today the pain was crazy. Going to Roland Garros is still my priority”

Rafael Nadal

Nadal did not hide his concern. “Everything is very difficult. The worst thing is that I feel that I have a good level of play again, I have felt very positive things in training and competition. I don’t know what to do right now, I don’t know whether to rest or train. Going to Roland Garros is still my goal“.

“Right now I can’t play, but maybe in a few days things will be better. In Paris I will have my doctor with me and that can help me, but I don’t know. I am very sad todaybut I have no choice but to accept what happened and fight to move on.

spectacular start

Nadal It had started like a shot. With very clear ideas. He didn’t want his game to get complicated. Last year, also in the round of 16, he saved two match balls from Shapovalov and this year, at the Australian Open, he needed five sets to get rid of the Canadian tennis player, in a match that he also had in his hand but in which he ended up unhinged and called the chair umpire “corrupt & rdquor ;.

In 42 minutes the first set was scored, losing only one game, against a Shapovalov who played three shots each point, relying on his powerful serve, above 215 km/h, but who Nadal responded with consistency, hitting power and depth. The Mallorcan only committed 3 unforced errors against 18 for the Canadian.

foot discomfort

Shapovalov continued his crazy tactic in the second round in which he improved his effectiveness to go ahead 3-0 and 4-1. The Canadian was launched, but Nadal managed to recover the ‘break’ he made in the second game (2-0) to tie the score 4-4, although suffering with each of his services in which he had to save a break ball. He couldn’t prevent Shapovalov from finally breaking him and forcing the third set.

Nadal no longer had the strength or vigor at the start of the match. Her gestures betrayed concern with his left foot. He broke the serve out Shapovalov, but the Canadian snatched it from him in the next game as well. Nadal could no longer keep up. He gave up four games in a row and in the third ‘match ball’, with serve in his possession, Shapovalov certified the victory in 2 hours and 26 minutes.

The other three favorites earned their place in the quarterfinals. alexander zverevsecond favourite, was the first to achieve it in the morning session that opened at the entrance of the Foro Italico against Alex DeMinaur whom he defeated 6-3 and 7-6 (5), had more problems Stefanos Tsitsipas to get rid of Karen Khachanov by 4-6, 6-0 and 6-3, while Novak Djokovic easily got rid of Stan Wawrinka for a double 6-2.

The world number 1 needed just 76 minutes to get rid of the Swiss tennis player who had his best tournament in Rome on his return to the circuit after more than a year out of competition due to several knee operations. “I am still far from being able to compete with the best & rdquor ;, assured Wawrinka, 37 years old and currently 361 in the world.

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Djokovic will face the Canadian today Felix Auger-Aliassime in search of one of the four semifinal places that would allow him to secure one more week (370) as number 1 in the world and arrive as the first seed at Roland Garros.



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