Sorry, ladies... dreamboat Rafa has a nightmare exit
WORLD No2 Rafael Nadal was sensationally knocked out of Wimbledon last night after an epic five-set battle lasting almost five hours.
The Spaniard went two sets down to Luxembourg’s Gilles Muller, who is ranked 26th, before forcing the tie to a fifth set.
Muller was the first player to beat a raw Nadal at Wimbledon back in 2005 before the Spaniard found his form and went on to win 15 Grand Slams.
Last night, Nadal, 31, apologised to a crowd that continued cheering for him until the end – and vowed to return to Wimbledon.
Holding back tears, he said: ‘Great feeling, great atmosphere. I put everything on the court. I played with all my passion. The crowd normally appreciate that.
‘Just thanks for the support. That’s it, I tried. Sorry for the crowd that were supporting me, but it was a great feeling to feel the support of all of them. I want to come back to play more times on Centre Court.’
The Court One match lasted four hours and 4 minutes before Muller, 34, triumphed 15-13 in the last set as sun set at SW19.
British doubles player Jamie Murray joked: ‘Gilles Muller serve got more swing than the 60s!’
The game matched the length of the 200 final when Nadal beat Roger Federer – but neither compares with 2010, when John Isner beat Nicolas Mahut in 11 hours and five minutes over three days.