Rafael Nadal felt a sharp pain in his foot during the last Roland Garros semi-final against Novak Djokovic. Rafa lost the match in four sets after four hours and 11 minutes, and he skipped the second half of the season to recover his troubled left foot.
The Spaniard made an incredible comeback in January, playing at a high level, although he did not know what to expect. Nadal is yet to lose a match in 2022, winning all 18 meetings and lifting three ATP titles and advancing to the quarterfinals of Indian Wells.
After the 21st Major Crown at the Australian Open, the Spaniard conquered Acapulco in February and came to Indian Wells as the title favorite. In the second round, Rafa survived a tough Sebastian Korda test, overcoming a 5-2 deficit in the decision and delivering two decisive breaks as the American served for the win.
Rafael Nadal defeated Reilly Opelka in two tie breaks at Indian Wells.
The Spaniard defeated Daniel Evans in the third round and put the last 16 against Reilly Opelka. Nadal won that 7-6, 7-6 in two hours and 11 minutes for a spot in his 12th Indian Wells quarterfinal.
Nadal was left 4-2 in the second set before pulling back the break in game eight and concluding the deal in the tie-break to spend no more time on the court. Rafa admitted that his foot hurt him for a few days, playing more than he expected in the first three months and looking forward to the clay season.
Nevertheless, the 21-time major winner wants to give his best against Nick Kyrgios in the quarter-finals and extend his incredible strike at the start of the season. “I was good in the opening set before small problems came in the second.
I was able to run to the end, and I’m happy to play another game and win. Today has been a bit worse than the other days, and my foot has bothered me more in the last two days. We already knew that could happen. I try to stay positive because this is my last hard-court event until the summer.
I’m coming back to clay from April, which should help. I will make one last effort and do my best here at Indian Wells. Hopefully the foot will hold up, and I do not think much about it. “I’m concentrating on my next competitor, and if something happens, I’ll accept it,” said Rafael Nadal.
Add Comment