The Courier & Advertiser (Fife Edition)
Nadal wins as Zverev goes off in wheelchair
Rafael Nadal reached the final of the French Open after opponent Alexander Zverev was forced to retire injured.
In distressing scenes at Roland Garros, German third seed Zverev fell and twisted his ankle at the end of the second set, yelling in pain as Nadal rushed around the net to help.
Zverev was helped to his feet but taken off the court in a wheelchair for treatment.
After five minutes the 25-year-old re-emerged on crutches to inform the umpire that he could not continue.
The crowd on PhilippeChatrier – fiercely proNadal as usual – rose to salute the world No 3 as his latest bid for a grand slam title came to a devastating end.
“It’s very tough, very sad for him,” said Nadal.
“He was playing an unbelievable tournament and I know he was fighting to win a grand slam.
“I’m sure he will win more than one and I wish him all the best.”
Nadal was leading by a set with the second heading for another tie-break after just over three hours, when disaster struck for Zverev.
On his 36th birthday Nadal, broken in the very first game, was behind the eight ball for most of the opening set.
He was standing as far back in the court as possible as he defended Zverev’s thunderous 130mph serve. In fact had the wall not been there to stop him Nadal would probably have stood in the crepe stand outside.
Having clawed the break back he found himself facing four set points at 6-2 down in the tie-break but somehow hit back, including one improbable backhand followed by an outrageous forehand winner, to snatch it 10-8 after 92 gruelling minutes.
The last thing either player needed was a 44shot rally but that is what they got early in the second set among four breaks of serve in the opening games.
The double-faults which cost Zverev at crucial times in the first set returned to gift Nadal two more breaks, the second when he was serving for the set, moments after he had been given a warning by the umpire for swearing in Russian.
When the Spaniard levelled again at 5-5 it was the first time he had held serve for 93 minutes.
But at 6-5 in the second and with Nadal about to take the match into a second tie-beak, Zverev’s footing gave way and the match was over.
Nadal had made it through, not in the way he would have liked, of course, but he remains on track for Roland Garros title number 14 and a 22nd grand slam win.
Nadal will face world No 8 Casper Ruud after he became the first Norwegian to reach a grand slam singles final by pulling off a shock 3-6 6-4 6-2 6-2 victory over former US Open champion Marin Cilic.
The 23-year-old knows Nadal well having trained at his academy in Mallorca for the past four years.
Rudd’s clash with the Croatian veteran was delayed by 15 minutes after a female protester walked on to the court and tied herself to the net post.
Andy Murray defeated Brandon Nakashima in straight sets to book a semi-final spot at Surbiton.
The three-time grand slam winner dispatched the 20-year-old American 6-4 7-6 (7/1), to extend his unblemished record at the Surbiton Trophy.
Murray eased past Nakashima with precious
few concerns, with the 35-year-old inching ever closer to a first singles title on grass in six years.
“The conditions were tricky, it was a bit blustery,” said Murray.
“And there was some old-school grass court tennis out here.
“I enjoy it here, but it is different to Wimbledon and Queen’s, in terms of the way the court plays.
“It’s a lot quicker here and there’s not many opportunities to break serve.
“I had to stay strong at the end of the second set.”
Fifth seed Nakashima became the latest opponent
to fall to Murray this week without taking a set off the decorated British star.
Murray has opted to feature at Surbiton in order to sharpen up his grass court game ahead of another assault at Wimbledon.
The Scottish star’s injury battles of the last few years continue to take a toll, but Murray is determined to arrive at SW19 in top form and shape in the coming weeks.
Murray had few concerns in dismissing Nakashima, to add to victories over Gijs Brouwer and Jurij Rodionov in Surrey this week.
Assistant coach Paul Collingwood admitted England’s attempts to enter a new cricket era remained “a work in progress” after New Zealand seized control on day two of the Lord’s Test.
An unbroken 180-run stand between Black Caps pair Daryl Mitchell and Tom Blundell was worth more than either team’s first-innings total, leaving the tourists holding all the cards as they progressed from 56 for four to 236 without further loss.
The duo will resume with their side sitting on a handsome 227-run lead and in sight of twin centuries – Mitchell just three short, with Blundell needing 10.
Unless England can find their way out of trouble in a hurry today, it will be a struggle to avoid defeat in the first match of Ben Stokes’ captaincy reign.
It would be a frustrating way for Stokes and new head coach Brendon McCullum to begin their tenure in charge of a side who have tasted victory just once in the last 17 matches, but Collingwood insisted an early bump in the road would be no reason for alarm.
“We know that things aren’t going to change overnight. It’s going to take some time that we get the team playing the way that we want them to play. Obviously that’s a work in progress,” he said.
“Brendon’s a glass-half-full kind of man. He’ll stay calm, he won’t change his values and beliefs just because of one innings, that’s for sure, and neither will Ben.”
● Blundell is pictured hitting another boundary during his knock of 90.