The Spaniard Rafael Nadal, the favorite, was eliminated on Saturday in the quarter-finals of the Masters 1000 in Rome by the Argentinian Diego Schwartzman in two sets (6-2, 7-5), eight days before the kick-off of Roland Garros.
Nadal, who had given up tournaments in the United States (Cincinatti and US Open), returned to competition in Rome, after more than six months of forced break due to the coronavirus pandemic.
He was eliminated from a tournament which he won nine times and of which he was the title holder.
A disoriented Nadal
Bullets bulging along the lines, cushioning with finesse, endless rallies and races.
For the first time this year in Rome, Nadal has found an opponent to his measure with Schwartzman, seeded N.8, a player who is not used to shine in big tournaments and who so far had lost nine times in nine matches against Rafa!
Two breaks in the first set for a 6-2 initially left Nadal confused.
The Spaniard had beautiful drawn from all his panoply, the "vamos", the closed fists, the variety of the blows, the Argentinian aged 28 years answered him tit for tat in a second set of anthology before s 'impose with astonishing mastery.
In the semifinals on Sunday, Schwartman will meet N.12 seeded Canadian Denis Shapovalov.
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