Alex de Minaur was too much for Rafa Nadal in Barcelona. The Australian ended the Spaniard's return to the courts (7-5 and 6-1) in the round of 16 of the Conde de Godó. Nadal gave a good image, with a competent first set, but it was not enough against a tennis player among the fifteen best in the world and who this season has played thirty matches. For Nadal, this was only the second.
And many, before the match, wondered if Nadal was the favorite, given De Minaur's limited background on the surface. The Australian, despite his origins in Alicante, has only won 22 matches on clay at the ATP level in his sporting career. Nadal, for his part, has won 535. The difference was abysmal, but De Minaur's greater pace prevailed.
Nadal came out somewhat uncomfortable, giving up his first serve with a couple of unusual backhand errors, a shot that he refined as the minutes went by and that gave him the best winning shots. It took him 25 minutes to win a game, but the Balearic Islander recovered from a 3-1 deficit and turned it into a 3-4 that could have changed the match. He had a break ball for 3-5, well deactivated by De Minaur, who waited for his opportunity while passing ball after ball. This is the Australian's best weapon, who does not have great winning shots, but has the ability to run from side to side for minutes. Not in vain, he is one of the fastest tennis players on the circuit. That, against a Nadal who is still far from his best level, is deadly. At 5-5, he played a service game that cannot be allowed in these circumstances. He made four errors and let his serve go, leaving the set on a plate to a De Minaur who did not forgive.
The Australian hasn't played much against the 'Big Three': just one loss in his only match with Roger Federer, three losses and one win against Nadal and two losses and one win against Novak Djokovic. The opportunity to achieve his third victory against one of the members of the most important trident in the history of tennis was there and he did not let it escape.
Deflated
In the second set, with Nadal deflated after giving everything in an hour-long set, De Miñaur executed the Spaniard, whose slowdown in service was noticeable. The Australian had breaking balls on all of the Spaniard's serves. He broke it three out of four times and took the set 6-1. Since 2011, Nadal has only lost five sets on clay due to this result.
In his entire career it had only happened ten times. “I just want to thank Nadal for everything he has done,” said De Miñaur after the match, after the Spaniard received a tremendous ovation from the stands as a farewell to what may be his last match on the court. which bears his name.
Now Nadal will try to get to Madrid, which begins next Wednesday and which may be his penultimate touchstone before Roland Garros. After Madrid, he will arrive in Rome.
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