Comeback attempt is one that got away
Shapovalov pushed Nadal to the limit, then hit his own
Unless you believe all five-set tennis matches are automatically classics, this was not a classic. The tennis just wasn’t that good.
But it sure was interesting and at times controversial, a curious drama played out under a scorching sun.
That this Australian Open quarterfinal went the distance was surprising in itself, given that Canada’s Denis Shapovalov looked to be thoroughly beaten after losing the first two sets against Spanish superstar Rafael Nadal.
The 22-year-old Shapovalov seemed out of sorts from the outset while serving poorly, volleying awkwardly, arguing with the chair umpire, shouting at new coach Jamie Delgado and showing a good deal of negativity on court. If we’d seen the Good Denis during his first four matches Down Under, which suggested that a more mature Shapovalov was emerging, this was more like the old temperamental Denis the Menace.
In particular, he seemed more intent on taking a stand than winning, determined to be the player who finally got on-court officials to take action against Nadal for his notoriously slow play. He decided to make respected chair umpire Carlos Bernardes his target.
“You’re all corrupt,” he shouted twice at Bernardes during a changeover.
At one point, after more arguing between Shapovalov and the umpire, Nadal approached the net for a brief chat and seemed to be trying to calm the irritated Canadian. Shapovalov refused to be mollified, and Nadal won the first two sets with relative ease. It looked like he was going to make short work of his frazzled opponent.
And then the match flipped on its head.
It started somewhere around the middle of the third set, around the time Shapovalov started to keep his cool and make his shots count. He surprisingly won the set with a late break to stay alive. Then Nadal started missing some more, and double-faulting.
Partway through the fourth set, the 35-year-old Nadal called for a trainer, apparently because he was feeling ill. He continued to play in the 30 C heat, but clearly wasn’t himself. On a few occasions, Nadal uncharacteristically didn’t chase balls he once would have pursued with his legendary speed and grit.
“I felt completely destroyed,” he said afterwards. “I’m not 21 any more.”
After losing the fourth set, Nadal repaired to the dressing room for more medical attention and a change of clothing. He came out for the final set looking somewhat refreshed, but still it appeared his younger, more energetic opponent was in the driver’s seat.
Until the match flipped again. Nadal had won 231 of 233 career matches in which he’d led two sets to none. One of those defeats, however, had come in the quarterfinals of the Aussie Open last year at the hands of Greek star Stefanos Tsitsipas, and now he was facing a simi
‘‘ You’re all corrupt. DENIS SHAPOVALOV TO THE CHAIR UMPIRE IN TUESDAY'S QUARTERFINAL
lar predicament. Was age finally catching up to one of the greatest to ever play the game?
Nadal made a defiant statement that such was not the case. He immediately held serve, making a brilliant stab volley on game point. He then broke Shapovalov and followed that up by fighting off two break points to jump ahead 3-0. All the momentum Shapovalov had generated in his comeback attempt seemed to vanish, and he started to lose his cool again.
Shapovalov held serve to make it 3-1, but Nadal was clearly feeling better as the court was gradually covered in shade and temperatures cooled. Nadal was able to draw on his smarts to conserve energy, while Shapovalov showed his inexperience by making too many impatient mistakes down the stretch.
The final scoreline of 6-3, 6-4, 4-6, 3-6, 6-3 in favour of Nadal in four hours and eight minutes accurately reflected the wild swings of the unevenly played match.
When it was over, Shapovalov angrily destroyed his racket and left it lying in the middle of the court. An alert ball girl quickly grabbed the mangled equipment as a souvenir.
Afterwards, Shapovalov continued to complain about Nadal and slow play, although it seemed clear his own behaviour had been questionable in accusing the chair umpire of being “corrupt.”
“I think I misspoke,” he said. But he insisted Bernardes wasn’t starting the 25-second serving clock quickly enough, thereby allowing Nadal more time to go through his quirky pre-shot routines.
“I respect everything that Rafa has done and I think he’s an unbelievable player,” said Shapovalov, “but there’s got to be some boundaries … It’s just so frustrating as a player. You feel like you’re not just playing against the player. You’re playing against the umpires, you’re playing against so much more.
“They are legends of the game, but when you step on the court it should be equal.”
Nadal was called for one time violation by Bernardes. He has dealt with similar accusations for years, and certainly bends the rules as much as possible. He’s also arguably the best fighter the sport has ever known and has used his indomitable spirit to leave many an opponent awash in frustration.
“I think (Shapovalov) is wrong,” he said.
“When you lose a match like this, you are frustrated.
“He’s young, and when one is young one makes mistakes.”
The quarterfinal appearance was Shapovalov’s best performance ever at the Australian Open, but the loss dropped him to a career 1-12 against the Big Three of Nadal, Roger Federer and Novak Djokovic. After beating Nadal in their first meeting in Montreal back in 2017, Shapovalov has lost four straight to him, and this one will really feel like the one that got away.
Nadal double-faulted a careerhigh 11 times and was aced 20 times by Shapovalov, but still won. He advanced to the Aussie Open semifinals in search of a record 21st major title and will take on Matteo Berrettini, who beat Gaël Monfils 6-4, 6-4, 3-6, 3-6, 6-2.
“Two months ago, I didn’t know I could be back on tour at all,” said Nadal, who had missed several months with a foot injury. “It’s just a present of life to be here.”
He barely made it across the finish line, snatching victory from defeat. While he was doing that, Shapovalov demonstrated that while he is indeed one of the best young talents in the game, he’s still got some growing up to do.