NADAL WINS CLASSIC
It was 4- 4 in a hard- fought second set when an unmistakeable frisson spread around the Centre Court.
No, nothing had happened in the football — it was too early at that stage. It was the news reaching the main arena that Roger Federer was out of Wimbledon, confirming what the latest updates on the scoreboard at changeovers had suggested was likely.
Rafael Nadal promptly missed two regulation forehands and was broken. Even the man with the most unerring concentration in tennis found himself thrown by the development.
He was, though, to avoid the fate of his great rival by staging a magnificent fightback to beat Juan Martin Del Potro 7-5, 6-7, 4-6, 6-4, 6-4, before a large crowd on the Centre Court that had happily ignored the chance to watch events in Russia.
Nadal v Federer is off, but the Nadal v Djokovic semi-final is on tomorrow, with the former back in the last four for the first time since 2011. What a shame that so many will not have seen this 4hr 48min prime-time thriller due to attractions elsewhere, for it was a superb contest, especially a fifth set with thrills and spills galore as both players hurled themselves around the court.
It may have been tennis’s match of the year to date, in fact, as the Spaniard frantically defended his fifth-set lead after breaking for 3-2.
the highlight was a 13-minute eighth game, which saw the French Open champion fight off three break points
‘It was a very emotional match, a great level of tennis,’ said Nadal.
‘I’m sorry for Juan Martin. In some ways he deserves victory too. Last year I lost 15-13 in a fifth set, so it’s a great feeling for me.’
By the end of the evening only two of Wimbledon’s ‘three Lions’ were standing, and it will be a colossal semi-final between them.
Nadal answered honestly on Monday when asked if, this Sunday, he fancied a repeat of the great finals he has had against Federer.
No he did not, purely on the basis that he wanted to win the title and therefore would be happy with the least problematical opponent possible. the 32-year-old Spaniard is not the type to get ahead of himself, even at Roland Garros where he picks off the low-hanging fruit on every visit before easing to one title after another.
So he was never going to underestimate Del Potro, with his enormous wingspan and ability to pump down aces like he is not really trying.
Nadal just about managed to win the battle of cat and mouse with the Argentine’s massive forehand to edge the first set, but needed to repair the lapse of concentration in the second by breaking back immediately for 5-5.
He had two set-point chances to go into a decisive lead in the tiebreak. the most egregious waste was when he netted a double fault at 6-5, but he was unlucky at 7-8 when Del Potro hit a cross court forehand that struck the net cord and then grubbered along the angle, making it impossible to scrape up. Rather like Federer, Nadal was being pushed to the limit by the relentless power of his opponent, and he cracked at 4-5 in the third when a poor volleying error suddenly saw him three break points down.
Del Potro responded on the first opportunity, breaking to love by launching a searing forehand down the line into the corner.
there was no mass walkout at the start of the football — which coincided with the start of the fourth — or outbreak of disorder when England scored.
the Argentine was finding it increasingly hard to keep his feet, and summoned down a fresh pair of grass court shoes after he was broken. they did not seem to make much difference and he was forced into a decider.
this was always going to be a test, given that he was alone among the quarter-finalists in having to come back on tuesday to finish his fourth-round match.
that he fought right to the end was only expected.