Rafael Nadal advanced to the semifinals of the Australian Open 2022. Nadal qualified after defeating Denis Shapovalov in a duel of five sets for more than four hours.
Nadal, who is seeded in sixth place, is challenged by Shapovalov in the quarter-final match which will be held at Rod Laver Arena, Tuesday (25/1/2022). The former world number one from Spain finally came out victorious in the final 6-3, 6-4, 4-6, 3-6, 6-3.
Nadal’s performance began to decline in the third set which was maximized by Shapovalov, who is seeded 14. Nadal even had time to ask for a medical time out due to stomach pain in the fourth set.
The key to Rafael Nadal’s victory was in the second game in the fifth set after breaking Shapovalov’s serve. The Spaniard then made sure of himself as the winner after Shapovalov’s backhand hit the sidelines.
“I really don’t know,” Nadal replied after being asked how he turned things around in that match. “I was really tired after that. It was a very tough day, very hot. Frankly, I didn’t train for this.”
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Canadian 14th seed Denis Shapovalov was able to push Rafael Nadal into the fifth set even though he ultimately lost. (Photo by Graham Denholm/Getty Images) Photo: Getty Images/Graham Denholm
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Shapovalov troubled Nadal with 20 aces and 53 winners. However, the 22-year-old made 51 unforced errors throughout the match, nearly double that of Nadal (28). Shapovalov made consecutive unforced errors in the final game then smashed his own racket as Nadal sealed the win.
“I was a little lucky at the start of the fifth set. At the start of the match I played well, then I knew how difficult it was to face a player like Denis. He is very talented, very aggressive. His service was very good, especially his second serve,” Nadal continued. the Guardian.
Rafael Nadal is seeking a 21st Grand Slam title of his career or his second at the Australian Open. In the semifinals, Nadal will meet the winner between Gael Monfils vs Matteo Berrettini, who will only be competing in a few moments.
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