Retiring tennis superstar Rafael Nadal lost 6-4, 6-4 to Botic van de Zantsschulp in the Davis Cup quarterfinal singles rubber on Tuesday, giving the Netherlands a 1-0 lead over Spain. After two years plagued by injuries, the 22-time Grand Slam champion will end his career as a professional tennis player with his last appearance on the Spanish national team at the Malaga tournament. Questions remained over Nadal’s involvement until team captain David Ferrer’s official announcement confirmed that he would play in the first singles match of the final.
The 38-year-old appeared emotional during the Spanish national anthem, with fans filling the arena chanting “Rafa, Rafa” as the song ended. Nadal had won 29 of 30 Davis Cup singles matches since debuting in the tournament in 2004, and had won both previous matches against the Dutchman.
The veteran’s initial jitters subsided as he held on in the first game from a 15-30 deficit. World No. 80 Van de Zantsschulp made three consecutive double faults in his first service game at Love Up 40, but still managed to stay consistent.
Nadal, ranked 154th in the world, was no doubt mindful of his declining health, firing off big serves and the occasional deadly forehand, followed by typical fist pumps and roars as he tried to clinch the points.
Van de Zantsschulp tried to get Nadal back to his backhand, but the Spaniard struggled to get back on track and said an indoor hard court tournament would be ideal for the “King of Clay,” who has won 14 times at Roland Garros. It was far from a typical road surface.
The Dutchman opened with two break points at 4-4, grabbed his second point with a stunning crosscourt winner to take the lead, and converted a second set point to dampen the Spaniard’s spirits.
give everything
Nadal fought back from 30-0 down at the start of the second set, but was unable to hold on and the Spaniard’s long shot secured the first break for his opponent, who increased the pressure and consolidated.
Dropping a set, picking up breaks and looking for his footing, Nadal overcame pressure on his serve in the third game and grabbed a nervous hold, sparking the biggest roar of the night.
Van de Zandsschulp held to deny Nadal any chance of momentum, and after a tense rally that gave the Spaniard no chance, he hit a crosscourt winner on his second break to take a 4-1 lead. was stolen.
Nadal showed his tenacity by breaking back in the sixth game and converting his third break point to give him a glimmer of hope. Their hopes grew as they continued to close the gap to 4-3.
The Spaniard overcame a break point and gave it his all in the final match to win back-to-back matches for the first time.
Van de Zantsschulp held and finished the eighth game with two powerful aces, but Nadal followed suit, making him serve for the match. Nadal went long before conceding a match point, but smashed his shot into the net to give his Dutch opponent the victory.
World No. 3 Carlos Alcaraz will face Dutchman Talon Griekspoor in the second rubber in a bid to keep Spain’s Davis Cup dream alive and prolong his farewell to Nadal.
The winner will face Germany or Canada in the semifinals.
Topics mentioned in this article
Leave a comment