He had a comeback in his scaphoid ailments against Shapovalov in the round of 16 (1-6, 7-5, 6-2).

Bone pain in his left leg, a chronic disease that has been going on for more than a decade, reappeared yesterday Rafael NadalWhich left Rome with a much deeper concern than just a round of 16 defeats Denis Shapovalov (1-6, 7-5, 6-2). Just 11 days after the start of Roland Garros, the 21 Majors champion is again suffering injuries. His first prediction, from the Campo Centrale press room, did not even point to an exact address. “I don’t know how I’ll be in a few days. I’ll talk to my doctor and I hope to be able to travel to Paris.”

At the end of March, Angel Ruiz Cotoro, received Nadal at his clinic in Barcelona for treatment for a crack in the third costal arch that occurred during the semi-finals in Miami. Therefore, the doctor was more than optimistic about Majorcan’s recovery, that he would meet his deadline to return to Madrid. Since then his passion was to add hours to the clay. But the required stuff has been reduced to five games. And this sabbatical compromises their grand goal of the year: the fourteenth Musketeers Cup.

Yesterday, during the break before the third set, obvious symptoms of lameness created panic box Why Nadal? from there, Francis Roigo You Mark Lepezzo He tried to suppress some signs of encouragement, while Rafa struggled to stay on track. Avoiding abandonment at any cost, the final games represented torture. After giving up three free games, the Spaniard could only manage five points from the last 19 in contention.

almost three years later

“I’m not injured. I’m a tennis player who lives with an injury,” he admitted after the loss, finishing in 159 minutes. First against a southpaw in nearly three years. Because it was Shapovalov himself in Paris-Bercy 2019 who was able to go around that wall. The fifth set of the last Australian Open is still in memory, there were reasons to expect something like this from the Canadian, always with a gap in his shots and with a portion of the constant risk that the opponent knows to corner. When he feels capable of relentlessly imposing his over-aggressive tennis, he becomes a formidable adversary. And if you add the concentration part to these qualities, even Nadal can be overwhelmed.

Organizers had yesterday amended the initial schedule to allow for a stay of fans, extending the wait to an hour. The omission would have added a point of tension for Shapovalov, an already rowdy man with a tendency to lose his way against someone as strong as Nadal. The beauty of his blows impresses as much as his mental disorder frustrates. And from his first turn for the serve, Nadal figured out a thread to take advantage of.

exactly one day after going out of business four times John Isner, Mancorans seemed to be taking another step forward in their game to the rest. Even when the Canadian opened more than a meter to widen the angle of the blow, Nadal didn’t hesitate. Shapovalov’s first service turn lasted more than eight minutes, forcing three balls to lift. break, That stuff, would definitely be a big help. his imposition RunMinimizing errors, Rafa made two breaks that would define the first set.

35 winning shots

A 6-1 preponderance, resolved in 43 minutes, could undermine the confidence of Shapovalov, who had fallen earlier than expected in Rotterdam and Doha, down from 110th against two rivals. Therefore, the options for their existence in the restoration may be clarified.

But unlike the beginning, that Tessitura only heralded his resurrection. With 35 winning points, including 13 . also includes acesDennis turned the situation around with astonishing ease. He wasn’t even going to regret the disappointment of wasting two golf balls. break In the eighth game of the second round. not one set ball As soon as it was two hours in the tenth, his time came. Oh, Nadal lost his leg. And the third set was just agonizing.