Nadal liquidates Van de Zandschulp and wins the quarters: he will face Fritz

Rafael Nadal’s 18th consecutive slam victory against Botic van de Zandschulp was exactly as expected: easy with a few moments a bit like that. Of course, not even for a moment of the match was it really thought that the Dutchman could worry the Majorcan. Van de Zandschulp did not disfigure, he did his own, but his is really too little to beat Nadal, who took home the game in just over two hours of play, 6-4 6-2 7-6 (6) and all at home. A return to the locker room delayed by a few minutes and a few games, with the Majorcan who got distracted at 5-3 in the third set, conceding the counterbreak and bringing the matter to the tie break, where once again Nadal was not flawless, with three match points wasted before closing.

And now Fritz

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Rafa thus finds himself in the quarter-finals of Wimbledon for the eighth time in his career (two victories so far, 2008 and 2010), where he will find Taylor Fritz, very very fit, who had beaten the former world number one in the final of Indian Wells (which Nadal, to be honest, had played with two cracked ribs and back from three hours against Alcaraz). It is difficult to say whether or not Rafa is the real favorite of the tournament: already the one against the American will be a more difficult test. “I had a good match, apart from an empty pass. Boltic played very well in the third, he raised his level, congratulations to him,” said Nadal at the end of the match. “I was three years old, I’m in the second week and I couldn’t be better. Fritz is definitely a great opponent, but every match is different. He’s having an exceptional year, it’s the quarter-finals and so I expect this kind of match.” Do I like being a tourist in London? Yes, it’s true, I like to disconnect like this. But this time I had to train harder, so no tourism. ” And on the celebration of the Center Court Nadal seemed almost moved: “It was an unforgettable thing, it will always remain in my best memories to be among those legends”.