Nadal reduces Opelka towards the final

Stitch by stitch, Rafael Nadal weaves victory against the Reilly Opelka keep (double 6-4, in 1h 32m) and disembarks in his twelfth final of the Rome Masters, in which he aspires to his tenth trophy after completing a fabulous route to the Sunday's biggest episode (17.00, #Vamos), with Novak Djokovic (6-3, 6-7 (5) and 6-2 to Lorenzo Sonego) on the other side of the net.

The one from Manacor smiles with all logic, because the afternoon has come out to order.

It is his 500th match on clay and the lord of the land has acted as such, rounding out a magnificent task that confirms the ascending line that describes his passage through the Foro Italico.

Whatever happens this Sunday, he will land in Paris with his homework well done.

More information

• Nadal, 500 matches on clay and a 2.11m tower

• Nadal, Costalada already semifinals

Opelka's size, 2.11m of pure North American stem, is demonstrated when when entering the track he must bend his neck to avoid hitting the frame of the entrance door.

Then he approaches the net and the mesh is almost at the height of his knees, while Nadal, with a very defined plan in his head, always serious, gives the classic little electric boats to warm up.

Bullets are coming, so better be prepared.

It will be a test of reading, blocking, being patient and having everything very clear.

Resist at all costs.

Endure the downpour, and to which the rival takes a false step, enter with everything.

Nadal starts out tense, but who wouldn't be in a storm of balls at 230 kilometers per hour?

"Shoot, shoot!", The Spaniard reproaches himself when he has a short ball and Opelka gladly flocks it, the American comfortable in the first moments, in which he resolves his service in a civil and threatening way, because in the second turn of Spanish service already has four break options. However, Nadal manages adversity masterfully and thwarts one after another, defense by defense and hitting deep, the only way out of the mess against an adversary who is interested in the story being short-lived. Running a lot, and more for a giant like him, automatically means ruin.

For this reason, Opelka proposes a shower of stones.

His hitting sounds hollow and the ball rumbles in the Roman center when it hits the metal walls of the funds.

One of those strokes starts the shock absorber from Nadal's racket, which scrutinizes the sand and picks it up, remains firm and does not wrinkle.

You can't, you shouldn't.

His coach, Francis Roig, confides from the

box

: "Press, Rafa, press."

And he, applied like no other, follows the strategy to the heart.

After those moments of trouble, he perceives a slight gap from the bomber and attacks: he cuts the ball based on cuts and as soon as Opelka loses the site he focuses hard on the angles.

Bingo!

A milestone of matches on the clay for @RafaelNadal today 📊

Ridiculous numbers 🤯 pic.twitter.com/glju7ERCnE

- Tennis TV (@TennisTV) May 15, 2021

In the fifth game, Nadal achieves the long-

awaited break

. The Mallorcan knows that the first part of the job is done. Nobody had stolen the American's serve in the four games towards the semifinals, in a practically immaculate route in which he had only yielded six break options. Much credit, then, that of that scratch. Now, much remains to be done. The champion of 20 majors has it exactly where he had planned it, with some doubts in his head and less and less accurate. Opelka, pensive, goes out of tune with the reverse and he, cunning, influences and influences. There is a streak out there, apart from getting several leaves out of the hat.

It upsets him on that side and also looking for him with various setbacks.

The American, who looks like a

Malibu

surfer

, with a thick beard, thick hair and a picturesque print on his shirt, weights his more than 100 kilos in the races and decides to take a couple of sips of taurine to see if it will revive himself.

But there is no twist, Nadal does not admit any lurch.

The Spaniard, fresh in his legs despite the demands of the week, has tied him up emotionally, he is taking a fable -84% with first, only seven points conceded- and he is cornering him until he pierces the wall again and breaks in the third game of the second set.

The final blow to the final.

A perfect exercise.

"ROLAND GARROS?

THE WORK IS DONE"

Nadal closed the day very satisfied and made him see it before journalists. “I played the game I had to do, against a very uncomfortable player who had not lost a set and had not given up a single game so far. I knew it was not going to be a nice game and, because of how he plays, you know that you are not going to have a good feeling at all, so you have to be practical and be serious. You have to grant very few chances when you are serving and that has only happened in one game, but luckily I saved it. In the rest I have not suffered. I have focused on my serve and when I have achieved the

break

, I have not looked for a great wear to the rest ”, he valued.

Asked if he will arrive in a good tone in Paris, having seen what he has seen recently, he replied: “I don't think what happens here will have a great impact in two weeks. What happens here is a final, of one of the most important events in our sport, so I want to win because of the importance of the tournament, not because in two weeks there will be a great event ”, said the 34-year-old Mallorcan; “Being in the final again is very important to me. For Roland Garros, the work is done, so tomorrow is not a preparation at all. I want to play well and be as competitive as possible ”.

"The process of the last month has been positive," he continued.

“I have played four tournaments, so I have been able to complete my schedule and have spent many hours on the court.

For me, the only bad game was in Monte Carlo, against Rublev;

Madrid is another story because of the altitude, so I accept that defeat;

and the rest has gone in a positive direction as the weeks have passed.

I have to adjust a couple of things, but the work is done ”, he repeated before retiring to regain strength.

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