The Spanish Rafael Nadal (6) prevented, despite his physical problems, the Canadian’s comeback Denis Shapovalov (14), by winning 6-3, 6-4, 4-6, 3-6 and 6-3, to be in the semifinals of the Australian Open.
“I was not feeling well with my stomach, they took my blood pressure and they verified that I was fine. They gave me a pill to improve, that’s all”, he clarified after accusing the intense heat that Melbourne Park presented, which exceeded 30 degrees in some sections of the crash.
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“I don’t know how I did it, I was devastated. It was very hard and it was very hot. I was lucky at the beginning of the fifth”, added Nadal in front of the public of the Rod Laver Arena.
His plan started perfectly, using the beneficial conditions of playing during the day in a dry heat, and he changed both heights and directions cleverly, particularly loading the one-handed backhand of a Shapovalov annoyed with the time that Nadal was taken between point and point.
“You are all corrupt,” the Tel Aviv-born Canadian snapped at chair umpire Carlos Bernardes, who told him to focus solely on the game.
Nadal’s opening strategy saw him score the first two rounds and nerves blossomed as the former number one headed to close out serve in a third set that could have been final.
The script changed drastically after a double fault and a winning shot from his rival, the Canadian scored a set that would capsize the Majorcan psychologically and physically.
Nor did Shapovalov need brilliant tennis, although he did have great first and second serves, as a result of stomach problems that kept Nadal on the ropes.
However, the champion of the 2009 edition recovered his strength after retiring to the locker room at the end of the fourth set and scored an early break that would end up being definitive to sign the final 6-3.
Nadal committed eleven double faults as a result of the risk he took with his seconds to dominate his service games but maintained an encouraging 79% of points with firsts.
The winner of 20 majors will face in the semifinals the winner of the duel between the Frenchman Gael Monfils (17) and the Italian Matteo Berrettini (7), in the last turn of the ninth day of competition.
The sixth-ranked world player reached the semifinals of a Grand Slam for the 36th time and approached the Serbian Novak Djokovic, who has 42 appearances and ranks second on a list led by the Swiss Roger Federer, with 46 appearances.
He also became the fourth oldest Open Era player, at 35 years and 241 days, to advance to the quarter-finals at Melbourne Park, behind local Ken Rosewell, Federer and Australian Malcolm Anderson.
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EFE
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