Wimbledon
- Quarters - Live
Taylor Fritz
65654
Rafael Nadal
37374
Rafael Nadal consummates his latest feat and forces the fifth and final set against Taylor Fritz in the Wimbledon quarterfinals (5-7).
After a difficult start, in which he decisively lost the first set (6-3), the Spaniard leveled the match in the second set after overcoming severe abdominal pain (5-7) and, shortly after, lost the third against the American Taylor Fritz (6-3).
Now, in Nadal's seventh appearance in the Wimbledon quarterfinals, the Spaniard is forced to win the last set to overcome the American, 24 years old and 14th in the world, a tennis player who beat him in the last Indian Wells final ( 6-3 and 7-6), duel in which Rafa played with an annoying crack in the ribs.
The other time they have seen each other was in Acapulco 2020, then the Spanish was victorious (6-3 and 6-2).
“Against Rafa you always have to make an aggressive decision and play freely”, explains Fritz, the best in his country in the ranking and recent winner in Eastbourne, on grass.
Nick Kyrgios will await in the semifinals, who won the other quarterfinal duel against Chilean Cristian Garín.
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NAD-FRI (3-6, 7-5, 3-6, 7-5 and 5-5)
Rafa runs to his side of the track... crazy.
She doesn't want to go home.
And she takes off to try to avoid it.
- Serve, volley and point for Rafa (15-0).
- Fritz lifts a sensational slice backhand, crosscourt backhand and hoot (15-15).
- Great serve from Rafa, who changes places and cheats on him, and Fritz who cannot return it (30-15).
- Another good serve that goes to Fritz's body and from there to the net (40-15).
And an amazing point, with two
smashes
and a drop shot to close out the game.
Nadal survives.
Nadal fights.
Nadal does not give up.
Jordi Quixano18:11
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NAD-FRI (3-6, 7-5, 3-6, 7-5 and 4-5)
Great serve by Fritz, who then catches Rafa off foot to win the point, to put himself back in the lead.
And he does the same thing in the other square... Excellent way to close the game.
Rafa will serve now so as not to lose the set.
Jordi Quixano18:06
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NAD-FRI (3-6, 7-5, 3-6, 7-5 and 4-4)
Fritz holds up the rally well, powerful backhand crosscourt, and wins a point in which he did not hit the first serve (15-0).
When he puts them in, everything is easier for him (30-0).
But Nadal also puts out his fist.
She returns and Fritz sends her into the net (30-15).
And she subtracts again and Fritz sends her long (30-30).
Nadal takes color again...
Fritz suffocates him with a great serve, with an impossible angle drive (advantage).
But Rafa attacks and invents a great drop shot.
She deduces
.
Jordi Quixano18:04
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NAD-FRI (3-6, 7-5, 3-6, 7-5 and 4-4)
- Nadal takes a breath before serving.
It is already known that he can rush 25 seconds between serve and serve.
And he is doing well because he hits a right cross that Fritz cannot put on the court (30-30)
- Another bad drop from Rafa because Fritz reads his intentions...
Break
option for Fritz (30-40).
And Rafa's backhand error, which does not pass the net, and Fritz who returns the coin... Equal games again.
Jordi Quixano18:01
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NAD-FRI (3-6, 7-5, 3-6, 7-5 and 4-3)
Let's remember that it is a match in which Rafa's father has asked him from the box to leave, not to bear the pain.
Nadal, of course, ignored him and what seemed impossible he is making it a reality.
Fifth set, serves to open a gap...
- Nadal runs and catches a ball that seemed, again, impossible, so that Fritz then misses a setback (15-0).
- Rafa makes a mistake when trying a dropshot from the back of the court with a sliced backhand that does not go over the net (15-15).
- Spectacular rally from the bottom of the court that Fritz ends up resolving with genius, catching the ball early and making a drop shot (15-30).
Jordi Quixano17:58
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NAD-FRI (3-6, 7-5, 3-6, 7-5 and 4-3)
He doesn't hit the first serve, Nadal attacks with his right hand moving him from side to side and ends up winning the point, for having the fourth chance of breaking in the game... And Nadal wins the game!
Parallel zambombazo of
drive
and dejadita that Fritz cannot touch.
It would be worth it for Rafa to win the kick out of her, but as she can pull it out.... We'll see!
Jordi Quixano17:54
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NAD-FRI (3-6, 7-5, 3-6, 7-5 and 3-3)
Rafa does not give up!
She attacks Fritz, makes him run, even scores a
smash
(also at half throttle like the serves) and defines from the net.
Advantage again, third
break
point .
But she doesn't get it, defending Fritz with the first serve.
Now Nadal cannot put the rest at stake and it is the American who takes the advantage.
Situation that wasted when failing a simple
drive
from the middle of the track.
But he attacks again with that serve that removes the hiccups.
Advantage again for Fritz.
Although he fails again when hitting a backhand with the ball too close to the body that it goes long.
Jordi Quixano17:52
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NAD-FRI (3-6, 7-5, 3-6, 7-5 and 3-3)
It is Fritz's turn to serve.
In the previous game he scored all the first... he doesn't do it now, that he loses the first point after Rafa goes up to the net (0-15).
And the same thing happens in the second, Rafa with a drop shot that Fritz can't return (0-30).
Trouble for the American.
Nadal rushes the
drive
, but it goes long (15-30).
And Fritz misses a simple volley, a point where his hands have trembled (15-40).
Two break
balls
.
Great serve from Fritz (30-40).
Now the first fails and, with the second... Fritz joins forces with fate!
The ball touches the net and goes out of bounds.
Deuces.
Jordi Quixano17:48
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NAD-FRI (3-6, 7-5, 3-6, 7-5 and 3-3)
The fans of the All England Club central cheer Rafa.
And more than they do when Fritz misses that topspin
drive
(Nadal advantage).
And they repeat revelry when the American throws it into the net, when Rafa equalizes the fifth set again.
Jordi Quixano17:44
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NAD-FRI (3-6, 7-5, 3-6, 7-5 and 2-3)
- Luck is allied with Nadal, as the ball touches the net tape and crosses the side of the court (15-0).
We've already been in the game for three and a half hours.
- The rest of Fritz does not enter (30-0).
- Left by the American that Nadal cannot return, although he can play (30-15).
- Good serve, better shot from the middle of the court by Rafa (40-15).
- Fritz's topspin drive that Nadal eats up and can't get back on track (40-30).
- Rafa's right cross that leaves...
Deuce
.
Jordi Quixano17:42
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NAD-FRI (3-6, 7-5, 3-6, 7-5 and 2-3)
Fritz is also involved in this set, aware that he cannot lose his serve again and that he will surely have a chance with Rafa's serve.
The first service enters him, true howitzers, and he replies with another blank game.
All first, easy game.
Jordi Quixano17:37
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NAD-FRI (3-6, 7-5, 3-6, 7-5 and 2-2)
Take Nadal.
Now it is known that the rival in the semifinals will be Kyrgios, who has beaten the Chilean Garín in three sets.
And Rafa does not loosen.
He ends the points in the middle of the track, grows in the face of adversity, and closes the game in white.
Duracell Nadal
.
Jordi Quixano17:35
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NAD-FRI (3-6, 7-5, 3-6, 7-5 and 1-2)
Ángel Cotorro, the national team doctor and also Rafa's, cannot contain his laughter when he sees Rafa running to change his racket.
He has known him for many years, but continues to be amazed at Nadal's ability to withstand pain.
Fritz doesn't care about that now.
He knows that with the first ones he can do a lot of damage (30-0).
But Rafa is Rafa... he returns what he can and takes the initiative when the rival leaves him a gap... 30-30.
Ace de Fritz (he has 16), advantage, and he does not waste it.
Play.
Jordi Quixano17:31
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NAD-FRI (3-6, 7-5, 3-6, 7-5 and 1-1)
Fritz subtracts Rafa's body, who cannot get her back on track (0-15).
He follows with a half serve, with a first-second that does not hurt Fritz.
But with the ball in play it's another story... Rally that Rafa takes with a counter shot (15-15).
Another exchange of blows that rafa concludes with a parallel right hand.
He sticks out his fist.
He does not plan to give up (30-15).
And another point that he takes by moving Fritz from side to side (40-15).
And take the game!
Jordi Quixano17:29
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NAD-FRI (3-6, 7-5, 3-6, 7-5 and 0-1)
Nadal returns to the track after going to have the physio look at him again and the fans applaud him.
They shout his name, applaud him and cheer for his story, also for the will not to retreat.
Fritz serves hard, first ace of the set (15-0) in the first point.
Rafa maintains the service subtracts twice out (40-0).
And he gets the game blank.
Jordi Quixano17:24
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NAD-FRI (3-6, 7-5, 3-6 and 7-5)
- Exchange of blows that Nadal ends up frightening with a cross that Fritz cannot return to the court (15-0).
- Contrapié de Nadal y Fritz that sends it out (30-0).
- Ace de Nadal, que engaña a Fritz con el servicio (40-0).
- Y derechazo paralelo que le sirve para ganar el juego en blanco....
¡Nos vamos al quinto set!
Jordi Quixano17:18
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NAD-FRI (3-6, 7-5, 3-6 y 6-5)
Rafa resta el segundo de Fritz y éste no puede volverla a poner en pista. Necesita del primero para dominar el punto... No lo consigue y Rafa se crece, suelta derechazos que liman la red (0-30). Pero Fritz se resiste a entregar su saque (15-30) y Rafa la cruza en exceso (30-30).
Sucede que Fritz se come un revés y la envía fuera. Es ocasión de ruptura para Nadal... El público enloquece. Quiere más partido y quiere a Nadal. ¡Y lo consigue!
Ruptura de Nadal, que sacará para ganar el cuarto set.
Jordi Quixano17:14
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NAD-FRI (3-6, 7-5, 3-6 y 5-5)
Saca Nadal para no caer en cuartos. Lo hace a medio gas, descosido por una lesión abdominal.
- Derechazo de Fritz al fondo de la pista tras un buen resto (0-15).
- Genial derechazo cruzado de Rafa que Fritz no puede coger (15-15).
- Aprieta Nadal subiendo a la red y el americano la tira a la red (30-15).
- Otro ataque con la derecha, otro golpe cruzado, que le vale el punto (40-15)
¡Y ace de Rafa! Va a la cruceta (porque fuerte no iba). Sigue el partido.
Jordi Quixano17:10
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NAD-FRI (3-6, 7-5, 3-6 y 4-5)
Sigue cargando al revés de Fritz un Nadal que levanta el puño, se anima. Ventaja y opción de break. Pero lo aborta el americano con un derechazo soberbio que levanta cal sobre la línea. De nuevo iguales.
Buen primer servicio que Rafa no consigue controlar (ventaja) y otro gran primero para subir a la red y vencer el juego. Restará para ganar el partido...
Jordi Quixano17:06
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NAD-FRI (3-6, 7-5, 3-6 y 4-4)
Nadal no se rinde. No puede sacar pero sí jugar a tenis. Trata de cargar sobre el revés del rival (0-15). Aunque Fritz conecta otro obús de saque... (15-15).
El americano comete otra doble falta (15-30) y se rehace con un misil de servicio (30-30) para repetir la historia (40-30).
Pero Nadal se inventa un drive cruzado para sentenciar con un paralelo. Deuce.
Jordi Quixano17:03
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