With irrepressible fighting spirit, Rafael Nadal prevented the end of Wimbledon and reached the semi-finals of the grass classic for the eighth time.
The ailing 36-year-old Spaniard won a five-set thriller against US professional Taylor Fritz 4: 6, 7: 5, 3: 6, 7: 5, 7: 6 (10: 4) and held the chance of a dream -final against defending champion Novak Djokovic from Serbia.
“I honestly enjoy these matches a lot. It was a difficult afternoon against a great player,” said Nadal. Something was wrong in the stomach area. “I had to serve something different. There were moments when I thought I couldn’t finish the match.”
After more than four hours, Nadal could celebrate
After triumphing at the Australian Open and French Open, Nadal still has the opportunity to win the Grand Slam, winning all four major tournaments in a year. The 22-time Grand Slam tournament winner now meets the controversial Australian Nick Kyrgios, who reached his first Wimbledon semi-final by beating Cristian Garin from Chile 6: 4, 6: 3, 7: 6 (7: 5).
The match was a constant ups and downs for Nadal. At the end of the first set, the Spaniard gave up five games in a row. In the second round, when the score was 4: 3, he had the physiotherapist come and disappeared into the dressing room for treatment. With a pained face, he clutched his stomach and leaned on his bat.