Hubert Hurkacz (9th ATP) started the ATP 1000 tournament in Rome from the second round. At the start, he faced not just anyone, only Rafael Nadal (305th ATP). The Spaniard was last eliminated in the fourth round in Madrid, and this time he ended his adventure in Rome in the second meeting. Hurkacz did not give the legendary tennis player a chance, defeating him 6:1, 6:3 in an hour and a half.
Watch the video Iga Świątek showed a photo from El Clasico
“This match was a joy to watch! On the central court of Foro Italico, Hubert Hurkacz could have felt like a guest asking the host to leave the party when he won the first set 6:1 against Rafa Nadal. In the second set, his advantage only grew, and the Spaniard had problems with the great play of the Polish tennis player. He was getting weaker with every minute, while Hurkacz proved once again that he is not cracking on the big stage,” wrote Filip Modrzejewski from Sport.pl after the match.
Rafael Nadal won’t play at Roland Garros? Disturbing words from the Spaniard
After being eliminated from Rome, Rafael Nadal should start in the Roland Garros tournament, which he has won 14 times. This competition is the most important in the Spaniard’s career, but his words after the match against Hurkacz may cause concern. Namely, it may happen that we won’t see Nadal in Paris.
– I don’t want to make a decision now. There are two ways. The first is that I don’t think I’m ready to compete in Paris because of what I showed today. The second is that there are two weeks left and we will do everything to change the situation. Even though it’s frustrating for me, I’m closer to giving it a try. I will do everything possible in these two weeks, said Nadal, quoted by puntodebreak.com.
– I hope that I will prepare well and come to Paris in good enough shape and give myself a chance to test whether I am ready to compete. Physically, I have some problems, but not enough to exclude me from the most important tournament of my career. We’ll see how things go and how I feel tomorrow, the day after tomorrow and next week. If I feel ready, I will fight there, just like I have done in the last 15 years,” Nadal concluded.
Italian fans said goodbye to Rafael Nadal after losing to Hubert Hurkacz
Nadal has repeatedly said that 2024 will most likely be the last year of his tennis career. That’s why he was already farewelled in Madrid, and on Saturday afternoon the same thing happened to him in Rome, where he won 10 tournaments and 70 matches during his 23-year career.
After the match, Rafael Nadal was given a standing ovation by all the fans who said goodbye to the best player in the history of the tournament in Rome.
After winning against Rafael Nadal, Hubert Hurkacz entered the third round of the ATP 1000 tournament in Rome, equaling his best result in his career. He will play with Tomas Martin Etcheverry (ATP 28).
2024-05-11 14:22:00
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