Injury forces Rafa out of Oz Open
MELBOURNE: Rafa Nadal’s Australian Open quarter-final curse struck again yesterday, an injury forcing the top seed to retire in the fifth set against Croatia’s Marin Cilic.
A wincing Nadal struggled with a muscle strain in his upper right thigh from late in the fourth set before abandoning the match at 3-6, 6-3, 6-7(5), 6-2, 2-0.
It was only the second time the world number one has retired in over 250 Grand Slam matches, his last during the 2010 quarter-finals against Andy Murray.
“It’s not the first time here,” said an ashen-faced Nadal.
“I am a positive person... but today is an opportunity lost to be in the semi-finals of a Grand Slam.”
Of the seven Slam quarter-final defeats of his career, five have now come on the blue hardcourts at Melbourne Park.
The 16-time Slam champion said he felt the strain in the third set but was not affected until the fourth when it twinged during a scramble for a drop-shot.
He complained that too many players were getting injuries.
“Somebody who is running the tour should think a little bit about what’s going on,” said the Spaniard.
“I don’t know if they have to think a little bit about the health of the players. Not for now that we are playing, but there is life after tennis. I don’t know if we keep playing in these very, very hard surfaces what’s going to happen in the future with our lives.”
It overshadowed a majestic performance from sixth seed Cilic, who reached his second Australian Open semi-final eight years after losing to Murray in 2010.
Bashing forehands as if felling trees with an axe, the 2014 US Open champion struck a mind-boggling 83 winners to set up a clash with 49th-ranked Briton Kyle Edmund.
“It was an unbelievable performance from both of us and it’s really unfortunate for Rafa,” the mild-mannered Cilic said during a post-match interview.
“He always gives his best and it’s unfortunate for him to end this way.”
Cilic will be favoured to reach his first final in Australia after showing courage to battle back twice against Nadal. — Reuters