Rafa begins his run-up to Roland Garros number 14 in his career overcoming the Australian 6-2 6-2 6-2. His foot gave him no problems
All eyes on the left foot. The one that had forced him to leave the Central of the Foro Italico suffering and defeated against Denis Shapovalov. “I live with an injury, sometimes it hurts less, sometimes it hurts more. But pain takes away my happiness, not only on the pitch. In life.” Harsh, heavy words that made the Majorcan fear the worst on the eve of Roland Garros number 18 in his career. Instead Rafa went to Paris and, as always, that French crushed brick was able to cure any ailment. Maybe not those of Jordan Thompson, 28-year-old Australian mustache number 82 in the world scrambled 6-2 6-2 6-2 in two hours on the road to the 14th Paris title: “For me entering this stadium is always a special emotion – ha said the Majorcan -. I have experienced the greatest joys of my career and to be still here, with the possibility of being able to compete in another Roland Garros is a great privilege. “
The match
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Rafa starts immediately, acclaimed by the crowd on the Chatrier, the stadium that has seen him celebrate 13 times in his career. He moves well, covers the pitch well and his foot seems in perfect condition. Rafa starts off strong with the break of the third game for 2-1 and continues at the same frantic pace until the second, in the fifth game. At 4-1 Nadal makes a few mistakes too many and offers his rival a break point which he promptly cancels with the service-forehand combination. 41 minutes of play went by and the first set was archived 6-2. Thompson immediately loses the bar even at the start of the second set, so much so that at a certain point he collapses on the net saying “I don’t know what I can do”. He ends up two breaks down, then at 4-1 he manages to recover one before a new lunge that from 4-2 leads him to also close the second set for 6-2 after an hour and 20 minutes of overall play. He breaks in the 5th game and again in the 7th of the third set for the King of clay who serves for the match at 5-2 and closes the passage in the 2nd round.
May 23, 2022 (change May 23, 2022 | 18:14)
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