Rafael Nadal

[arti]

[Damian]

Nadal Keeping Things Simple After Madrid Loss To Thiem

Spoiler:

Spaniard will be the top seed in Rome next week
Most things, win or lose, seem fairly simple to Rafael Nadal. When he wins, he played better, he was confident and he was feeling good on the court.
When he loses, it's usually the opposite – his opponent played better than him and perhaps Nadal wasn't full of belief. Such was the case on Friday, Nadal said, when Dominic Thiem snapped the Spaniard's 50-set and 21-match win streaks in the Mutua Madrid Open quarter-finals.
You May Also Like: Thiem Ends Nadal's Clay Winning Streaks & Time At No. 1
The Spaniard lacked confidence at times, and Thiem lifted his level in the big moments to beat Nadal for the third time in their ninth FedEx ATP Head2Head matchup.
View Nadal-Thiem FedEx ATP Head2Head Series
“I am playing against one of the best players of the world. He played well. We played in special conditions. The ball flies more here... I was not under control of the point [for most of] the match,” Nadal said.
“My real feeling was when I was hitting the ball with my forehand or even with my backhand, I was not comfortable, confident to change directions... That was my feeling.”
Nadal, No. 1 in the ATP Rankings, had not lost on clay since 2017 Rome, when Thiem also dismissed the Spaniard in straight sets. But, despite his record-setting win streak on clay, Nadal entered the match well aware of Thiem's potential.
“Whenever he plays really well, it's very difficult to stop him. If he plays well, I just need to stop him. That was not the case today. He played well and I didn't play well... We're not playing a game where the differences are big or massive. The differences are very small,” Nadal said.
“I tried to come back. I tried to do it. I tried to do it a couple of times. But I haven't been good enough today... Some days you don't play as good as you would like to play. Also when that happens it's because your opponent is doing really well.”
Nadal will lose his No. 1 ATP Ranking, and Roger Federer will take over on Monday. But the Spaniard found positives in his quarter-final defeat, including his improved position in the ATP Race To London, which will determine which eight players qualify for the season-ending Nitto ATP Finals.
View The ATP Race To London
“I think I placed myself in a good position, more or less. I am No. 3 in the Race of the year, which is the most important thing. I still have two good weeks on clay, and then I'll keep on moving forward. This is the reality,” Nadal said.
“I lost the No. 1 before, but what makes me happy is I feel fit, can compete with possibilities every single week. This is my final goal: to be happy. That's what I'm working on.”
The 31-year-old Spaniard also isn't hitting the “alarm” button after the loss. He'll be the top seed in Rome next week, where he could again face Thiem in the quarter-finals of the season's third and final ATP World Tour Masters 1000 tournament on clay. If Nadal can win his eighth Internazionali BNL d'Italia title, he will reclaim No. 1 on 21 May.
“I won 50 straight sets on this surface. Today I lost the match. It was not my day. But that's part of this sport. That's part of the sport in general. So I can't go back to the hotel and think that I have to do a lot of things different to prepare the next events because [that] will not be something that will be very smart,” Nadal said.
“I just have to analyse what's going on and try to play with more determination, more aggressively.”

http://www.atpworldtour.com/en/news/nad ... f-reaction

[Damian]

Rafa’s Record: Although he will fall to No. 2 in the ATP Rankings on Monday, Nadal can climb back to the top spot to start a sixth stint as World No. 1 on 21 May if he captures a record eighth Rome championship. His closest competitor in Rome titles is Djokovic, who owns four. Nadal is 14-1 in matches and 30-2 in sets on clay this year, including his 11th titles in Monte-Carlo and Barcelona.

http://www.atpworldtour.com/en/news/sco ... -rome-2018

[arti]

Clay Phenom: After Thiem beat Nadal in the 2017 Rome quarter-finals, the Spaniard swept his next 21 matches and 50 sets on clay. Thiem ended both streaks in the Madrid quarter-finals on 11 May and could meet Nadal again in the Rome quarter-finals on 18 May. Thiem (3), who seeks his maiden Masters 1000 triumph Sunday in Madrid, is one of three men with three wins over Nadal on clay, joining Djokovic (7) and Gaston Gaudio (3).

http://www.atpworldtour.com/en/news/sco ... -rome-2018

[Damian]

Nadal: “I Am Thinking All About Rome”

Spoiler:

Nadal is bidding for a record eighth crown in Rome

Rafael Nadal was keen to emphasise the importance of playing in the present as he discussed beginning his quest for a record eighth Internazionali BNL d’Italia title this week.

The seven-time champion, who lost on clay last week in Madrid for the first time since 2017 Rome, is bidding to win his first title at the Foro Italico in five years.

“Every tournament is very important in itself. And for me, even more. Because I have a great story at all these events. I won here seven times. And, for me, it's always very special to play here in this tournament,” said Nadal.

The Spaniard enters Rome after his 21-match and 50-set winning streaks on clay were ended by Dominic Thiem in Madrid, the same man who beat him 12 months ago in the Italian capital. The loss to Thiem also confirmed that Nadal’s reign as World No. 1 would come to an end, with Roger Federer returning to the top spot of the ATP Rankings on Monday 14 May.

“There is not much time to think about what happened [in Madrid],” reflected Nadal. “I should [have] been playing better than what I did. I know what I did wrong, and I am going to try to change that for this week."

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Having been forced to miss tournaments in Acapulco, Indian Wells and Miami due to a right hip injury, Nadal has made a triumphant return to ATP World Tour action on clay, winning his 11th titles in Monte-Carlo and Barcelona before last week’s quarter-final loss to Thiem.

“I'm very happy about my comeback after the injury,” assessed Nadal. “Here is another opportunity to play well.”

Nadal will be extra motivated to play well and clinch his eighth crown in Rome with the World No. 1 ATP Ranking on the line once more. A title run in Rome would see the Spaniard immediately return to World No. 1 on Monday 21 May.

The 31-year-old also made it clear that, despite Roland Garros beginning at the end of the month, his focus was solely on action this week at the Foro Italico.

"There is one thing that is 100% sure," said Nadal. "I am not thinking [about] Roland Garros when I am here. I am thinking all about Rome."

Did You Know?
The Internazionali BNL d’Italia is the only clay-court tournament in Rafael Nadal’s career that he has failed to win on four consecutive visits, having lost to Novak Djokovic in the 2014 championship match before three consecutive quarter-final defeats from 2015-2017.

http://www.atpworldtour.com/en/news/nad ... 18-preview

[Lucas]

[Lucas]

Rafael Nadal pojawi się na starcie 24h Le Mans. Organizatorzy docenili Hiszpana

Spoiler:

Wyścig 24h Le Mans odbędzie się w dniach 16-17 czerwca. Organizatorzy zawodów potwierdzili już, że rolę startera w tegorocznej edycji pełnić będzie Rafael Nadal. 31-latek to jeden z najbardziej utytułowanych tenisistów w historii. Ma na swoim koncie 10 zwycięstw w Roland Garros, wygrywał też Australian Open, Wimbledon i US Open.
W zeszłym roku start do wyścigu rozgrywanego we Francji ogłaszał Chase Carey, szef F1. W przeszłości funkcję startera pełnili też aktor Brad Pitt czy kierowca Fernando Alonso.

- Od dawna Francja w czerwcu znajduje się w centrum zainteresowania świata sportu. Nie tylko za sprawą Roland Garros, ale też 24 h Le Mans. W tym roku to mi przypadnie zaszczyt wystartowania wyścigu. To jedno z największych wydarzeń w świecie motorsportu. Nie mogę się już tego doczekać - powiedział Nadal.

Tenisista nie ukrywa, że jest to dla niego ogromne wyróżnienie. - Łączy nas fakt, że mamy podobnego ducha rywalizacji i chęć szukania nowych wyzwań. Dlatego cieszę się, że będę mieć taką możliwość i pojawię się na starcie. Mogę zapewnić, że gdy będę machać flagą, aby dać sygnał kierowcom do ruszenia, będę odczuwać dumę i podekscytowanie - dodał.

https://sportowefakty.wp.pl/wyscigi-sam ... i-hiszpana

[Damian]

[grzes430]

Rafael Nadal wyrzucił z głowy niepowodzenie w Madrycie. "Myślę tylko o występie w Rzymie"

Spoiler:

- W Madrycie na pewno powinienem był zagrać lepiej. Jednak wiem, co zrobiłem źle, i w tym tygodniu zamierzam to poprawić - mówił Rafael Nadal przed startem turnieju ATP Masters 1000 w Rzymie.
Rafael Nadal przybył do Rzymu wprost z Madrytu, gdzie spotkało go przykre rozczarowanie. W ćwierćfinale turnieju rozgrywanego w stolicy swojej ojczyzny przegrał z Dominikiem Thiemem i zakończył serie 21 zwycięskich meczów i 50. kolejnych wygranych setów na kortach ziemnych.
- Nie miałem zbyt wiele czasu, by myśleć o tym, co wydarzyło się w Madrycie. Na pewno powinienem był zagrać lepiej. Jednak wiem, co zrobiłem źle, i w tym tygodniu zamierzam to poprawić - mówił Hiszpan na konferencji prasowej w Wiecznym Mieście.

REKLAMA - Zwiń
Internazionali BNL d'Italia to jedna z koronnych imprez Nadala. W przeszłości wygrywał w niej siedmiokrotnie (sezony 2005-07, 2009-10 i 2012-13). Częściej triumfował tylko w Monte Carlo i w Barcelonie (po 11 razy) oraz w Rolandzie Garrosie (dziesięciokrotnie). Na kolejny triumf na Foro Italico Rafa czeka jednak już od pięciu lat. Co więcej, od 2014 roku nie dotarł nawet do finału tych zawodów.

- Każdy turniej jest dla mnie bardzo ważny. A ten jest szczególnie ważny, bo mam wspaniałą historię występów tutaj. Wygrałem tu siedem razy i każdy kolejny występ na tych kortach jest dla mnie wyjątkowy - wspominał.

Rzymski turniej będzie dla Majorkanina ostatnim sprawdzianem formy przed rozpoczynającym się 27 maja wielkoszlemowym Rolandem Garrosem. - To dla mnie kolejna okazja do gry. Cieszę się z tego, jak prezentuje się po powrocie po kontuzji. Ale nie wybiegam jeszcze myślami w kierunku Rolanda Garrosa. Będąc tutaj, myślę tylko o występie Rzymie - wyjaśniał.

Jeśli Nadal wygra w Rzymie, w przyszłym tygodniu wróci na pozycję lidera rankingu ATP, którą w poniedziałek stracił na rzecz Rogera Federera. Inauguracyjny mecz rozegra w środę. Zmierzy się z lepszym z pary Fernando Verdasco - Damir Dzumhur.

https://sportowefakty.wp.pl/tenis/75465 ... ystepie-w-

[lake]

Rafael Nadal pojawi się na starcie 24h Le Mans. Organizatorzy docenili Hiszpana

Spoiler:

Wyścig 24h Le Mans odbędzie się w dniach 16-17 czerwca. Organizatorzy zawodów potwierdzili już, że rolę startera w tegorocznej edycji pełnić będzie Rafael Nadal. 31-latek to jeden z najbardziej utytułowanych tenisistów w historii. Ma na swoim koncie 10 zwycięstw w Roland Garros, wygrywał też Australian Open, Wimbledon i US Open.
W zeszłym roku start do wyścigu rozgrywanego we Francji ogłaszał Chase Carey, szef F1. W przeszłości funkcję startera pełnili też aktor Brad Pitt czy kierowca Fernando Alonso.

- Od dawna Francja w czerwcu znajduje się w centrum zainteresowania świata sportu. Nie tylko za sprawą Roland Garros, ale też 24 h Le Mans. W tym roku to mi przypadnie zaszczyt wystartowania wyścigu. To jedno z największych wydarzeń w świecie motorsportu. Nie mogę się już tego doczekać - powiedział Nadal.

Tenisista nie ukrywa, że jest to dla niego ogromne wyróżnienie. - Łączy nas fakt, że mamy podobnego ducha rywalizacji i chęć szukania nowych wyzwań. Dlatego cieszę się, że będę mieć taką możliwość i pojawię się na starcie. Mogę zapewnić, że gdy będę machać flagą, aby dać sygnał kierowcom do ruszenia, będę odczuwać dumę i podekscytowanie - dodał.

https://sportowefakty.wp.pl/wyscigi-sam ... i-hiszpana

Wrzuciłem do "Życie i twórczość" bo tam mi bardziej pasowało, ale skoro jest już tutaj to usunąłem.

[Lleyton]

Rafa Enters Beast Mode

Spoiler:

Spanish star ruthless in Rome opener

Seven-time champion Rafael Nadal sent a warning to his rivals on an overcast Wednesday at the Foro Italico in Rome.

The top seed improved to 15-1 on red dirt this season by defeating Damir Dzumhur of Bosnia and Herzegovina 6-1, 6-0 in just 61 minutes on Court Centrale at the Internazionali BNL d’Italia. He will next challenge Canada's Denis Shapovalov, who won their only previous FedEx ATP Head2Head meeting at the 2017 Roger's Cup.

“It was a positive match, of course,” said Nadal. "It was important, after a loss in Madrid, to come back strong. And that's what I did today. I went on court with the right intensity. I don't know how many mistakes I made, but not many. I also had control, more or less, of a high percentage of the points. That was the way that I want to play.”

Having lost No. 1 in the ATP Rankings to Roger Federer on Monday, Nadal can reclaim the top spot with his eighth trophy at the historic ATP World Tour Masters 1000 tournament. The Spanish superstar has an outstanding 404-36 (.918) record on clay courts (55 titles), according to the FedEx ATP Performance Zone.

The 31-year-old moved into a 5-0 lead, which included a 23-stroke rally on Dzumhur’s serve at 0-3, Ad-Out, that ended with Nadal playing a crosscourt backhand half volley, close to the baseline, only for his opponent to hit a forehand volley into the net. Nadal completed the 34-minute first set with his fourth forehand winner.

It continued to be one-way traffic in the second set, although World No. 31 Dzumhur never gave up in spite of Nadal’s greater power and consistent groundstroke depth. Nadal wrapped up his 19th match win in 21 matches this year with a forehand winner down the line - just like at the end of the first set.

Nadal has already won 11th titles at both the Rolex Monte-Carlo Masters (d. Nishikori) and the Barcelona Open Banc Sabadell (d. Tsitsipas).

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Shapovalov continued his recent run of form on clay with a 7-6(3), 6-7(5), 6-3 triumph over Robin Haase.

The Mutua Madrid Open semi-finalist (l. to Zverev) notched his 17th tour-level win this season after two hours and 26 minutes, hitting seven aces and 42 winners to book a meeting with seven-time champion Nadal.

After failing to convert three set points, one at 5-3 and two at 5-4, the Next Gen ATP Finals contender eventually took a one-set advantage after Haase drove his backhand into the net in the tie-break. The second set also required a tie-break after both men saved the only break points they faced in their third service games. But, this time, it was the 31-year-old who held his nerve under pressure. Haase came from 4/5 down, winning consecutive points on Shapovalov's serve before clinching the set on a Shapovalov backhand error.

Shapovalov made the first move in the decider, breaking serve to lead 3-1, but his advantage was short-lived as Haase pegged the 19-year-old back immediately in the following game. Not to be deterred by the disappointment of failing to consolidate his lead, Shapovalov broke once more, forcing Haase behind the baseline and into a forehand error off a deep backhand return. The World No. 29 then wrapped up the win, on his second match point, as Haase's backhand return drifted long.

http://www.atpworldtour.com/en/news/nad ... -wednesday

[arti]

[DUN I LOVE]

Poprawia tegoroczny bilans gier do 20-2.

[Lleyton]

Ruthless Nadal Beats Shapovalov In Rome

Spoiler:

Fognini beats Gojowczyk for place in first quarter-final at Foro Italico

Rafael Nadal continued his quest for an eighth Internazionali BNL d’Italia crown, which will help him to regain No. 1 in the ATP Rankings, on Thursday with victory over #NextGenATP Canadian star Denis Shapovalov.

Top seed Nadal recorded the 20th match win of the year (20-2) with a 6-4, 6-1 victory over Shapovalov, who will become the Canadian No. 1 on Monday after his run to the Rome third round.

“It was a solid match for me,” said Nadal, who lost just five of his service points. “I started with some mistakes on the return. But with my serve, I didn't lose many points. At the beginning, I really think that he was serving big. I got the break in the 3-all. And then the match changed… He probably stopped to serve that big a little bit, and I was a little bit more relaxed."

The Spanish superstar will next challenge another talented player in Italian Fabio Fognini for the 14th time. Nadal leads 10-3 in their FedEx ATP Head2Head series, which includes victories in their past five matches.

“It'll be a match against a great player, with a lot of talent," said Nadal. "I know I have to play well, to keep having chances and keep going in the tournament. I hope to be ready to make that happen, to play at the right level and to be competitive.”

Nadal improved to a 53-6 match record at the ATP World Tour Masters 1000 tournament in Rome, but he won the last of his seven trophies five years ago. Should he earn his 32nd Masters 1000 crown with victory in Sunday’s final, he will replace Switzerland’s Roger Federer in the top spot.

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Shapovalov immediately felt the heat from Nadal, nine months on from losing to the Canadian in the 2017 Rogers Cup third round that denied his a return to World No. 1. To his credit, the 19-year-old saved eight break points in his first two service games, but a rushed forehand approach by Shapovalov at 3-3 handed Nadal the break. After winning 15 of his service points, Nadal lost his first point on serve, due to a backhand error, at 4-3, 40/0. The Spaniard completed the 49-minute opener with a deep forehand approach, which Shapovalov struck back into the net. Shapovalov, on the back foot throughout, committed 19 unforced errors – 12 of which came on his forehand wing.

Nadal carried his momentum into the second set, with Shapovalov hitting a double fault to gift his opponent the first game. Pushing Shapovalov closer to the advertising hoardings at the back of the court, Nadal broke again for a 4-1 lead with a barrage of forehands that ended with a smash winner. Shapovalov hit a forehand error at 1-5, on Nadal’s second match point.

“I think Rafa played incredible today,” said Shapovalov. “He's been playing at a really high level for this whole clay season. So credit to him, he was just simply too good today. I don't think I played too bad today. I felt like I was playing good out there, especially [in] the first set. It was really tight, really competitive.”

Shapovalov won 3-6, 6-4, 7-6(4) on Montreal’s hard courts in August 2017, but felt the full force of Nadal’s clay prowess at the Foro Italico. During this season's European clay swing, 31-year-old Nadal has already captured 11th titles at both the Rolex Monte-Carlo Masters (d. Nishikori) and the Barcelona Open Banc Sabadell (d. Tsitsipas).

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Fognini

Earlier in the day, Fognini delighted Italian supporters with a hard-fought victory in reaching the quarter-finals. One week shy of his 31st birthday, Fognini recovered from a 2-4 deficit in the first set – by winning five straight games – en route to a 6-4, 6-4 third-round victory over Peter Gojowczyk in one hour and 33 minutes.

This year’s Brasil Open titlist (d. Jarry), currently No. 21 in the ATP Rankings, hit 19 winners — including 11 forehands — to set up a Friday clash against Nadal.

It was Gojowczyk, competing in only his seventh ATP World Tour Masters 1000 tournament, that claimed the first break, courtesy of an errant forehand from Fognini, serving at 2-2, 30/40. The lead was short-lived, as errors began to mount up for the 28-year-old German — he committed 18 unforced errors, largely late on in the 43-minute opener. Trailing 2-4, Fognini went on to clinch five straight games, which included a second break of Gojowczyk’s serve at 4-5, 15/40, when the World No. 53 struck a forehand approach into the net.

Chances to break serve came and went for both players in the second set, notably at 2-2, with Fognini serving at 30/40, when Gojowczyk narrowly missed a crosscourt backhand, then, with the German serving at 3-4, 30/30, when Fognini overcooked a forehand close to the net. The pressure began to tell on Gojowczyk at 4-5, when he hit two double faults, and, as Fognini focused and tightened up his game, the Italian was rewarded with his 20th match win of the season (20-10) after hitting a forehand crosscourt winner.

Fognini is through to his fourth Masters 1000 quarter-final or better - also 2013 Rolex Monte-Carlo Masters semi-finals, 2014 Western & Southern Open quarter-finals and 2017 Miami Open presented by Itau semi-finals.

http://www.atpworldtour.com/en/news/nad ... 8-thursday

[Lleyton]

Nadal Overcomes Fognini, Continues Pursuit Of Dual Goals

Spoiler:

Spanish star to play against Djokovic or Nishikori on Saturday

Rafael Nadal saw a 4-1 first set lead evaporate on Friday before regrouping to beat talented Italian Fabio Fognini, who was boosted by a capacity Court Centrale crowd at the Internazionali BNL d’Italia.

The Spanish superstar denied Fognini his wish of an early first birthday present for his son, Federico (born 19 May 2017), in a 4-6, 6-1, 6-2 victory that keeps Nadal in pursuit of a return to No. 1 in the ATP Rankings.

Should Nadal bite into his eighth trophy at the Foro Italico in Rome, which would represent a record 33rd ATP World Tour Masters 1000 crown, he would supplant Switzerland’s Roger Federer at the summit of men’s professional tennis on 21 May.

He will next play in his 10th Rome semi-final on Saturday against Serbian No. 11 seed and four-time former titlist Novak Djokovic or Kei Nishikori of Japan.

Nadal, the 2005-07, 2009-10, 2012-13 Rome champion, is now 54-6 at the historic clay-court tournament. Already with 11th titles at both the Rolex Monte-Carlo Masters (d. Nishikori) and at the Barcelona Open Banc Sabadell (d. Tsitsipas), the World No. 2 improves to a 21-2 match record in 2018 (17-1 on clay).

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Nadal’s intensity was highlighted in netting the first break of the match, for a 3-1 lead. Fognini drew the Spaniard out wide for a backhand volley into an open court, but Nadal rushed back and hit a backhand winner. Fognini, fueled by his courtside compatriots, finally broke back at 2-4 on his fourth break point chance with a forehand return winner down the line. Having led 4-1, Nadal won 11 of a possible 41 points, as Fognini harnessed the momentum, moving terrifically around the court to clinch the 60-minute opener when Nadal struck a backhand long. For only the third time, in their 14th FedEx ATP Head2Head meeting, Fognini had won the first set (also 2013 China Open, 2015 Barcelona).

Nadal refocused, as Court Centrale got watered between sets, and later ran through the 33-minute second set courtesy of winning 16 of his 21 service points, in addition to service breaks in the second and sixth games. On set point, the 31-year-old hit a slice serve out wide then struck a crosscourt backhand into space — one of six winners in a strong response.

Fognini’s challenge suffered a setback, when he dropped his second service game of the decider to love, striking a backhand long. Nadal's groundstroke consistency and depth reaped a decisive second break of Fognini's serve at 2-4 en route to completing victory in two hours and 15 minutes.

The 30-year-old Fognini was appearing in his first quarter-final in Rome, on his 11th appearance at his home tournament (10-11 record). In February, he lifted his sixth ATP World Tour title at the Brasil Open (d. Jarry) and has a 20-11 mark in 2018.

Did You Know?
If Rafael Nadal wins the Rome title, it will be the first time since 2012 that he heads into Roland Garros with only one clay loss on the season.

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http://www.atpworldtour.com/en/news/nad ... 018-friday

[Lleyton]

[Damian]

ATP Rzym: Fabio Fognini zabrał seta Rafaelowi Nadalowi. Hiszpan pierwszym półfinalistą

Spoiler:

Rafael Nadal po trzysetowym pojedynku pokonał Fabio Fogniniego w meczu ćwierćfinałowym turnieju ATP World Tour Masters 1000 na kortach ziemnych w Rzymie. Hiszpan został pierwszym półfinalistą tegorocznej imprezy we włoskiej stolicy.

Fabio Fognini trzykrotnie znalazł już sposób na Rafaela Nadala i podczas czwartkowej konferencji prasowej zapowiadał, że jest w stanie uczynić to po raz czwarty. Tymczasem faworyt gospodarzy zaczął pojedynek od straty serwisu i musiał gonić wynik ze stanu 1:4. Dzięki naprawdę ofensywnej grze Włoch był w stanie doprowadzić do wyrównania na po 4. Potem przełamał jeszcze w dziewiątym gemie, by po zmianie stron zwieńczyć seta.
W pierwszej partii Fognini miał aż 16 wygrywających uderzeń i 14 błędów własnych, z kolei Nadal znalazł się na małym "minusie" (6-10). Z czasem jednak proporcje się odwróciły i to Hiszpan wygrywał więcej wymian. Do tego tenisista z Majorki nie popełnił błędu z premierowej odsłony i tym razem nie oddał szybko wypracowanej przewagi przełamania w drugim secie. Reprezentant Italii nie returnował już tak dobrze i sporo mylił się. W efekcie stracił podanie jeszcze w szóstym gemie, po czym 16-krotny mistrz wielkoszlemowy zakończył drugą część spotkania.

Podobnie było w decydującym secie. Fognini niepotrzebnie spieszył się i psuł proste piłki. W trzecim gemie stracił serwis do zera i nie miał już żadnej okazji na powrót do gry. W siódmym gemie Nadal przełamał po raz kolejny, po czym wykorzystał drugiego meczbola. Po dwóch godzinach i 15 minutach wygrał 4:6, 6:1, 6:2. W całym pojedynku zanotował 16 winnerów i 19 pomyłek, natomiast jego przeciwnik miał 29 kończących zagrań i 39 niewymuszonych błędów.

W sobotnim półfinale na drodze Nadala stanie Serb Novak Djoković. Hiszpan celuje w ósme trofeum na kortach Foro Italico, bowiem wcześniej triumfował w międzynarodowych mistrzostwach Włoch w latach 2005-07, 2009-10, 2012-13. Jeśli w niedzielę sięgnie po tytuł, to powróci na pierwsze miejsce w rankingu ATP.

Internazionali BNL d'Italia, Rzym (Włochy)
ATP World Tour Masters 1000, kort ziemny, pula nagród 4,872 mln euro
piątek, 18 maja

ćwierćfinał gry pojedynczej:

Rafael Nadal (Hiszpania, 1) - Fabio Fognini (Włochy) 4:6, 6:1, 6:2

https://sportowefakty.wp.pl/tenis/75533 ... m-polfinal

[Lucas]

Nadal Escapes Battle Against Djokovic

Spoiler:

Rafael Nadal won 50 sets in a row on clay, a record for consecutive sets on a single surface, before falling in last week’s Madrid quarter-finals. Nevertheless, the Spaniard entered the Rome semi-finals with a 17-1 record on the surface in 2018. It was clear that the top seed was in form.

But longtime rival Novak Djokovic, who had won three of their past four FedEx ATP Head2Head meetings on clay, stood across the net. And the four-time Rome champion played arguably the best match of his comeback from a right elbow injury, channeling the level and intensity that helped him to four year-end No. 1 finishes in the ATP Rankings. It still was not enough.

Nadal outdueled Djokovic in an epic battle on Court Centrale at the Internazionali BNL d’Italia 7-6(4), 6-3 to earn his 356th ATP World Tour Masters 1000 match win, breaking a tie with Roger Federer (355) for the most victories at the elite level in history.


Nadal is now one win — against last week’s Madrid champion Alexander Zverev or first-time clay-court Masters 1000 semi-finalist Marin Cilic — from regaining the No. 1 spot in the ATP Rankings after his Madrid loss sent him to No. 2 behind Federer this week.

Both players entered the match having never lost in the semi-finals at the Foro Italico, but Nadal (10-0 in Rome SF) moves within one victory of lifting an eighth trophy in the Italian capital, while Djokovic (8-1 in Rome SF) bows out with renewed confidence after reaching his first semi-final of the season and digging deep to challenge the Spaniard. The left-handed 31-year-old now trails 26-25 in the pair’s record FedEx ATP Head2Head rivalry.

http://www.atpworldtour.com/en/news/nad ... me-2018-sf

[Damian]

[DUN I LOVE]

48. finał M-1000 (31-16) Rafy w Rzymie. Wyprowadził Hiszpan siebie na czoło historycznej klasyfikacji.

1. Rafael Nadal - 48
2. Roger Federer - 47
3. Novak Djoković - 44