What Nadal’s getting away with is unfair ... it’s corrupt
Shapovalov hits out at umpire over Spaniard’s time-wasting
RAfAEL NADAL and Novak Djokovic have more in common than just being brilliant players who own 20 Grand Slam titles each.
They are also two masters of the art when it comes to stalling opponents and yesterday the former got called out for it after reaching the semi-finals of the Australian open.
Canadian Denis Shapovalov could not contain his frustration at the slow pace of play and the breaks taken by 35-year-old Nadal as he went down in five sets. He labelled umpire Carlos Bernardes ‘corrupt’, and while he apologised for that he doubled down on the wider assertion that the top players get preferential treatment. His second point was broadly accurate, although not the first, delivered in the heat of battle.
yet the drawsheet will only show that Nadal is just two wins away from the title and that he will play Italian Matteo Berrettini in the last four.
A tournament dogged by controversy could get a late uplift, with the Spaniard as an unlikely champion and local hero Ash Barty seizing the women’s crown.
If officials thought the introduction of toilet-break limits and the 25-second shot clock would end arguments over stalling they underestimated the ingenuity of players in pushing the rules.
After Nadal’s 6-3, 6-4, 4-6, 3-6, 6-3 victory, the 22-year-old Canadian expressed his frustration at waiting for his opponent in admittedly stiflingly hot conditions, including when his momentum was halted by the Spaniard taking a prolonged break for medical assessment at the end of set four.
‘I misspoke when I said he’s corrupt,’ admitted Shapovalov, who may now face a fine. ‘It’s definitely emotional but I do stand by my side. It’s unfair how much Rafa is getting away with. I’m ready to play and the clock is ticking three, two, one, towards zero.
‘I’ve been ready to play for a minute and a half and he (Bernardes) tells me he’s not going to give him a code violation because I’m not ready to play.
‘To me, it’s a big joke if somebody says that. It’s so frustrating as a player. you feel you’re not just against the player, you’re playing against the umpires.’
Asked if Nadal gets special treatment, he responded: ‘of course, 100 per cent he does. Every other match I have played, the pace has been so quick because the refs have been on the clock after every single point.’
The Spaniard defended himself against charges that have rarely been laid against Roger federer. Having contended with foot problems and Covid before Christmas, his weight of experience may now gain him an unlikely 21st Slam.
‘We can’t forget that I didn’t play much tennis for such a long time. These very hard conditions are difficult for me,’ he said.
‘In my opinion, Denis was wrong. I understand he just lost the set and wanted to keep playing quick. It’s always in the mind that the top players get advantages and honestly on court it’s not true.’
He may also have been stretching it when he claimed, not for the first time, that he is not concerned about winning more majors than Djokovic and federer. ‘I don’t believe my future happiness depends on if I achieve one more Slam than the others,’ he said.
Having complained of stomach issues, he will have two days to prepare for a difficult semi-final against Berrettini, whose fearsome serve-forehand combination was too much for Gael Monfils in a 6-4, 6-4, 3-6, 3-6, 6-2 win.
Barty is carrying the hopes of a nation and swept into the women’s semi-finals with a 6-2, 6-0 win over Jessica Pegula. She will now face another American, Madison Keys, who easily saw off french open champion Barbora Krejcikova. Barty winning would be a relief for Tennis Australia after all the tournament’s issues. l NOVAK DJOKOVIC has appeared on the entry list for next month’s Dubai Tennis Championships. While this is no guarantee of him playing there, it is one of the venues which would currently allow him to play without being vaccinated.