Wimbledon, Nadal beats Fritz in the fifth set and wins the semifinal

Either victoria or muerte. There is no surrender in Rafa Nadal’s philosophy. There is no pain stronger than that of defeat. Not even if you have a broken foot, a stuck rib and an abdominal strain that gets you served at 160 per hour. Rafa Nadal thus surpasses Taylor Fritz in five sets 3-6 7-5 3-6 7-5 7-6 after 4 hours and a quarter when it seemed that he could retire after a third of the race. Now he will find an “enemy”, that Nick Kyrgios who reached the first semifinal in his career by beating Garin.

On the one hand the left-handed phenomenon who has won 22 Grand Slams and still dreams of reaching the Grand Slam dream, on the other hand the young Taylor who despite a good tournament has shown that when you are on the other side a giant you have to prove that you are one of them. height. And Taylor couldn’t.

Ironically against Fritz, Rafa had lost in Indian Wells with a broken rib. First the foot, then the fracture, again the foot in Rome and now the abdomen. Rafa left the field for a medical time out at 1-0 3-4 Fritz. From the corner of his dark faces, his father even signaled “Enough!” he too tired of seeing his son face an endless sporting via crucis.

The battle

–

Upon returning from treatment, Nadal picks up his racket again without even looking at his box, perhaps offended by the advice to give up, a verb that has never been recorded in the Manacor lefty vocabulary. His wife Francisca, who will make him a father in the autumn, is resigned to seeing him suffer but Nadal senior no, he too looks down. Rafa continues, however, does not give up, keeps the service for the 5-4. Even he wins the second set even if almost from a standstill. Everyone in his garage cheers except dad Sebastian. It sounds like the classic dispute between a parent and a teenage child who doesn’t want to listen to him. But maybe this time Rafa is right, who continues to fight, gives up the third but in the fourth he is ahead by a break. He goes against breaking and at 5-5 he moves forward 30-0 on Fritz’s serve and climbs 6-5. The public is literally in raptures for the champion who has the opportunity to play everything for the fifth and, of course, takes it. And as Sinner knows well, when one of the Big 3 decides to raise the level, then there is no talent that holds. At 3-2 Nadal saves the advantages and risks the break, at 3-3 the southpaw of Spain has two break points. The first one Fritz cancels with an ace at 207 times, the second the tape that first seems to stop the ball then pushes it into Rafa’s field. There is still a 4-3 opportunity that is canceled by the American. In the end, of course, it is Nadal who prevails. 4-3 and service. Taylor wakes up, has the ball of the counterbreak. This time 3 incredible mistakes by the Spaniard allow the American to return. The tie break is played, Rafa goes up 5-0. Fritz tries to return but Nadal closes 10-4. Either victoria or muerte.