Rafael Nadal overcomes stomach problems to beat Denis Shapovalov in a five-set thriller
The Spaniard wants to break the record for most Grand Slam men’s singles titles, which he currently holds with Roger Federer and Novak Djokovic Splits.
Nadal is now just two matches away from his 21st Grand Slam title and will face either Matteo Berrettini or Gael Monfils in the semi-finals.
There were doubts about Nadal’s fitness ahead of the tournament in Melbourne after the 35-year-old struggled with injuries and Covid-19 last year, but the 20-time Grand Slam champion showed on Tuesday that he was ready was for the fight.
His duel with Shapovalov lasted more than four hours, and Nadal struggled with a stomach problem that required medication during the match.
“I started not to feel very comfortable in my stomach, so I asked for something, they took the tension, checked if everything was okay in my body and gave me some tablets to try to improve my stomach” said Nadal after the match.
“I’m not 21 anymore… after this match it’s great to have two days off. I felt pretty good physically as far as movement goes but the conditions weren’t that hot.”
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‘I was completely destroyed’
Nadal had taken a two-set lead after an impressive start to the match, but his Canadian opponent forced a decider after finding his form just in time.
Shapovalov had become upset at the start of the match after complaining about how long Nadal took between points.
In the second set, his frustration finally became so great that he snapped at the chair umpire, yelling, “You’re all corrupt.”
After forcing Nadal into a final set, Shapovalov seemed to run out of steam as the Spaniard used his vast experience to win the set.
A wide grin spread across Nadal’s face after Shapovalov saw his volley attempt go wide on match point as the Canadian took out his final frustration on his racket.
“I don’t know, to be honest,” Nadal said when asked how he won the match. “I was completely destroyed afterwards. A very hard day, very warm.
“To be honest, I didn’t train for this. At the beginning of the fifth set I had a bit of luck. At the beginning of the match I played great, then I know how difficult it is to play against a player like Denis.
“He’s very talented, very aggressive. He served very strong, especially on his second serve.”
Both men’s semi-finals will be played on Friday this year, meaning Nadal will have plenty of time to rest and recover from another thriller in Melbourne.
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Those: edition.cnn.com
2024-01-01 05:15:42
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