“Rafael Nadal is one of the best fighters in the history of sport.” It was thus, with a simple phrase advanced by the official account of the US Open and repeated by thousands of people on social networks, that the tennis universe reacted to the impressive performance of the Spanish tennis player in the Wimbledon quarterfinals. Nadal began to lose, almost gave up, resisted and won — and is in the semifinals of the third Grand Slam of the year after having won the first two.
We have come to expect nothing less. @Rafael Nadal strikes back once again and forces a fifth set against Taylor Fritz #Wimbledon | #CentralCourt100 pic.twitter.com/CJS9AnoRVZ
— Wimbledon (@Wimbledon) July 6, 2022
After winning the Australian Open and Roland Garros, the 36-year-old tennis player defeated the American Taylor Fritz, who had not lost a single establish in this edition of Wimbledon. With visible physical difficulties, fundamentally in a lower area of the abdomen where he had bandages, Nadal lost his first establish (6-3) and even gave the idea that he was going to give up. He went to the locker room to be evaluated by the medical team and saw his father, sister and uncle and former coach asking him to leave the stands. Maribel, the sister, even seemed to say “Rafa, please.”
But Nadal stayed. To return to court and tied the game winning the second establish (5-7) and leaving everyone present at the All England Club applauding standing. He lost the third again (6-3) and came back in the fourth (5-7), heroically resisting the abdominal pain that clearly limited him.
Sebastian Nadal telling his son Rafael to quit? #Wimbledon #nadal pic.twitter.com/L0LiJQQttY
— Simon Haring (@_shaering) July 6, 2022
EITHER suspense almost four and a half hours, finally reached the fifth and final establish: Demonstrating an experience and intelligence that compensate for the inevitability of age, the Spaniard defeated Taylor Fritz in the final tie-breaker with a clear 4-10 (6-7) and sealed his passport to the semifinals in a match in which he always knew how to respond in the matches in which he served to the difficulties he felt in the matches in which he defended.
In the semifinals, Nadal will face Nick Kyrgios, who beat Cristian Garín in three sets and who is also at this point one of the main candidates for the final victory. Clearly limited by physical issues and abdominal pain that will essentially make it difficult for him to respond to Kyrgios’ deadly serves, the Spaniard continues his search for his third Grand Slam of the season, the 23rd of his career and his third Wimbledon for a personal title. And he continues to prove that he is clearly one of the greatest boxers in the history of the sport.
Alcohol, drugs and redemption while remaining who he is: Nick Kyrgios makes Wimbledon history and reaches the semi-finals
Source: Observadora
