Nadal and a journey of all colors

After three and a half hours of electric skirmish, Rafael Nadal wants to let go of his legs.

"Come on, let's see if we can do it fast today, so I can go cycling for a while," he says after dodging a very tough crossing with Denis Shapovalov, a 22-year-old young man (13 years younger than him) who had recently led him to a extreme situation in the arena of the Foro Italico, both physically and mentally: 3-6, 6-4 and 7-6 (3).

More information

• Nadal escapes from Shapovalov

• Nadal scores a great match with Sinner

The Spaniard, who knows them all, has managed to escape from a labyrinth that for most would have no way out. For him, yes. The Canadian has had two match balls, in the absence of a last blow to the chin, but the call to heroism has rescued him and this Friday (not before 12.00, #Let's go) he will hit the track again in search of a place in the semifinals of the tournament in Rome. Opposite will be Alexander Zverev, the bomber who eliminated him last week in Madrid.

“These kinds of victories are satisfying. I have fought and I have fought many hours, all the time with the adverse score, so the satisfaction is great, and even more when I have not played at a perfect level today, because I have done things wrong ", explains the champion of 20 greats, who from time to time he touches his cell phone and he already knows that on the other side of the table, Novak Djokovic has gotten rid of Alejandro Davidovich from Malaga without palliative (6-2 and 6-1); “These days you have to hold on [to the game] whatever it takes and be with a positive attitude, without complaining. The normal thing is that when things go this way, things end badly, losing, so they are fights and battles that can be used for a few weeks ”.

With hardly any margin to catch his breath, after the severe spanking of the previous day with Yannik Sinner, the Mallorcan finds on the other side of the network a young man who shoots without warning, a sign that the new batch is losing fear and that these young people they trust more and more in giving a coup d'etat to the tyrannical exercise of the three giants. Shapovalov plays with the knife between his teeth and each pitch translates into a challenge for Nadal, who tries not to retreat or give meters. However, that ball caresses lines and punishes your string. Constantly in tow, he saves the second set and then misses two match balls, before putting on the final lace. “But how the hell did you get out of this one more time? What do you think in moments like this?

"You go on, there is no other", he minimizes.

"If you let go, you know you're in the shower in five minutes, there is that option," he continues.

“And the other is to try, fight and give yourself the opportunity.

I can miss with the racket, but not with the head.

This is sport, fighting even if things seem impossible ”, he adds as the dates advance and the gravel tour consumes the preparatory phase for Roland Garros.

The great French (from May 30 to June 13) is insinuated on the horizon and, the classic at this point, is analyzed and speculated on whether the Manacor is more or less sharp than other years, and if it will land in the Bois de Boulogne with sufficient guarantees to try to achieve his 14th title, which would mean his 21st Grand Slam trophy.

Voices and facts: from Monte Carlo to Foro Italico

Optimistic voices and others more skeptical flutter around him, those who prefer to see the glass half full or half empty. And in the background, the facts: the stumble with Rublev in Monte-Carlo, a couple of unexpected difficulties at Godó (Ivashka and Nishikori) and the comeback against Tsitsipas; most recently, Zverev's overflow at the Caja Mágica and the demanding take-off in Rome.

“I don't like analyzing every day whether I am progressing or not. Every day is a different story and, in the end, I make my way ”, he says, while completing a journey in which he has faced situations of all colors; “I think I will have a chance to arrive at Roland Garros well prepared and I am confident that I will be able to work well these last weeks. I have a good load of matches, long matches in which I have had to fight; I've played some good ones, some bad, I've had all kinds of situations. In the end, it's about that. What can happen in Paris? We'll see".

For now, this Friday he will face the German Zverev, who reduced the Japanese Kei Nishikori (4-6, 6-3 and 6-4) and seven days ago he surrendered to him at the height of Madrid, superior in the last three clashes Between both.

"This is not the biggest court in the world, so against a player like him, who serves so hard, it will be difficult," he warns;

"But, on the other hand, here everything is more controllable, so I prefer to play here against him."

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