RAFA OUSTED
Makes early Wimby exit
Unknown Czech upsets world’s No. 2 player in second round at Wimbledon
WIMBLEDON, England — First Rafael Nadal took a tumble into the net. Then he began complaining to the umpire. Then he bumped his opponent, Lukas Rosol, during a changeover.
Rosol thought the cont act wa s intentional.
“I was surprised he could do it on the Centre Court at Wimbledon,” Rosol said.
But the obscure Czech was not to be rattled. Nadal made his earliest Grand Slam exit since 2005, losing in the second round Thursday, 6-7 (9), 6-4, 6-4, 2-6, 6-4.
“In the fifth set he played more than unbelievable,” Nadal said. “Before, first three sets, I didn’t play well.”
Nadal’s demeanor grew glum as the match progressed, and in the third set, he bumped into Rosol as they crossed to reach their chairs for a break.
“He wanted to take my concentration,” Rosol said. “That’s OK. I knew he would try something, but I was concentrating.”
Rosol, 26, remained focused to the finish, earning the biggest win of his career while playing in Wimbledon’s main draw for the first time. He lost in the first round of qualifying each of the past five years.
At No. 100, Rosol is the lowest-ranked player to beat Nadal in a Grand Slam tournament.
As the match stretched beyond dusk, the conclusion came with the retractable roof closed for the final set. The upset on tennis’ biggest stage was no fluke: Rosol served brilliantly and repeatedly stepped inside the baseline to hit aggressive groundstrokes, while Nadal found himself pinned deep and on the defensive.
Among those shocked by the result was Rosol.
“I’m not just surprised; it’s like a miracle for me,” he said. “I never expected something like this.”
Nadal saved three set points to take the opener, but his mood soon became cross. Chasing a drop shot in the second, he stumbled into the net as his racket went flying to the sideline, and he rose frowning at the slick grass.
After falling behind i n the third set, he grumbled to the chair umpire during a changeover, apparently irritated by Rosol’s movements awaiting serves.
Following the match, Nadal declined to say what had him annoyed.
“Anything that I will say now will sound against me,” he said. “It’s not the right moment for me to say what happened out there, because it’s going to sound like an excuse.”
It was a good day for Americans — Serena Williams, Andy Roddick, Mardy Fish and 126th-ranked Brian Baker advanced, as did No. 28-seeded Christina Mchale and Varvara Lepchenko.
Maria Sharapova’s old serving problems resurfaced, costing her the second set before she recovered to beat dangerous Tsvetana Pironkova, 7-6 (3), 6-7 (3), 6-0. The Court 1 match took two days and ended three minutes after Williams concluded her victory on Centre Court, beating qualifier Melinda Czink, 6-1, 6-4.
Defending champion Petra Kvitova, seeded fourth, advanced by beating Elena Baltacha of Britain, 6-0, 6-4.