GUTS AND GLORY

Battling Rafa says he may withdraw after defying abdominal injury to reach semis

BY

RAFA NADAL has warned that he may be forced to give Nick Kyrgios a bye into the Wimbledon final – due to a painful abdominal injury.

His father and sister urged him to retire when he took a medical time-out during a thrilling five-set win against Taylor Fritz.

But the cost of victory could be a withdrawal before tomorrow’s semi-final.

“Honestly, I can’t give you a clear answer because if I gave you a clear answer and tomorrow another thing happens, I will be a liar,” said Nadal.

“There is something even more important than winning Wimbledon – and that is health. Let’s see how this is going.

“Tomorrow, I am going to have some more tests, but even today my family told me I needed to retire from the match, but, for me, it was tough to retire.

“I just wanted to give myself a chance. It is not easy to leave the tournament, not easy to leave Wimbledon – even if the pain was hard.

“I wanted to finish. I prefer to fight, with victory or defeat, but it didn’t matter. That’s what I did – I fought.

“I am proud about the fighting spirit and the way that I managed to be competitive under those conditions.”

Nadal somehow hauled his injured, ageing body through another famous Centre Court battle to set up the potential semi-final grudge match with Kyrgios.

His match against Taylor Fritz lasted

4hr 21min, as Nadal beat the 11thseeded American 3-6

7-5 3-6 7-5 7-6, with the final set decided

10-4 in a tie-break.

On the 14th anniversary of his epic 2008 final win against Roger Federer, the drama was once again unscripted.

Although by the end it seemed to be looking suspiciously like something out of The Terminator.

Several times it looked like Fritz (above) had bested the awesome tennis machine in front of him.

Even Nadal’s father Sebastian appeared to call time when he pointed to his watch as the 36-year-old left court for a medical time-out during the second set.

But every time it looked like the mighty Spaniard was down and out, there would be a little twitch of a response. Somehow he would drag himself up again.

For all the bodywork that needs attention, he showed that he is still capable of being devastatingly dangerous.

Fritz was overwhelmed in the final 10-point tiebreak as Nadal won the first five points.

A sledgehammer final forehand delivered into the corner finally won a battle Fritz might have won with a bit more nerve on the crucial points.

There is nothing wrong with Nadal’s brain, though.

Nor, it turns out, with his heart. “In the abdominal, something is not going well,” he added.

“I had to find a way to serve a little bit different.”

Thankfully, his team is used to rebuilding him.