TENNIS WIMBLEDON CHAMPIONSHIP – Rafa Nadal battled past his 2012 Wimbledon conqueror Lukas Rosol in four sets with 4-6 7-6 (8-6) 6-4 6-4 after fighting back from a set and a break down. They met for the third time in their careers. They tie 1-1 in their previous head-to-head matches but Rosol famously upset the twice Wimbledon champion in their second-round match at the All-England Club in 2012. Earlier this year Nadal beat Rosol in straight sets in Doha. Diego Sampaolo
Nadal won the first game to love when Rosol hit a shot into the net. Rosol drew level to 1-1 with a powerful forehand. The first set went on serve until the ninth game when Rosol was the first to break serve for 5-4. Rosol went up 0-30 on Nadal’s serve with a winner down the line. Nadal won a chalenge to avaoid facing three break points but a double fault at 15-30 handed Rosol two break points. Nadal saved them with a couple of forehands but he dropped serve on the third break point. Rosol went up a break 5-4 and served for the first set. Rosol was on fire and held serve to love for 6-4 to take a one-set lead.
Nadal was on the verge of another shock defeat againsr the World Number 65 when the Czech player broke serve to love in the fifth game to take a 3-2 lead before consolidating the break in the next game for 4-2. Down a set and a break Nadal hit two aces to hold the game to 15 for 3-4. Rosol hit a shot down the line into the net to gift Nadal three vital break points. Nadal got the break with his return to draw level to 4-4 keeping his hopes alive. Nadal went up 40-0 but Rosol fought back with his return to 40-30 but the nine-time Roland Garros champion held serve to edge ahead 5-4 in the second set. Rosol who was close to serving for the set, was now serving to stay in it. Rosol held serve to draw level to 5-all Nadal held serve to go up 6-5 but Rosol forced the second set to the tie-break. Nadal clinched a tight tie-break 8-6 to draw lvel on sets. Nadal got a mini-break at 3-all but Rosol hit a winner down the line before earning a set point with an ace. Nadal rallied from a 3-5 deficit in the second-set tie-break and hit a forehand down the line when he was serving at 5-6. Nadal clinched a hard-fought 57-minute second set when Rosol made a double fault.
Nadal won all three tie-breaks he played against Rosol during his career
“If I lost that set point in the second set, if that forehand down the line went out, maybe I would be sitting here with a loss. But that’s the sport. That forehand was the perfect forehand for that moment. Even if I was losing, I was fighting for every ball. I was fighting mentally and physically. Every match is so difficult here. I played a bad game at 4-4 and I lost the first set. Until that moment, I was playing better than him but I didn’t have my chances on the return. It is a very important victory for me. I finished the match at a very high level. To be in the third round here after three years is very positive news for me.”, said Nadal.
“When I was a set down and I got broken in the second, I was not thinking about the match two years ago. I am thinking what I have to do to win the next point in that match. Today is another story. I needed to find the solution. Finally I did. That’s the most important thing. I played with fantastic energy during the final three sets. I was returning great in the last three sets. I was able to have more breaks. Rosol can be dangerous for everyone, if he plays well. The players who are able to serve and hit the ball that quick, with his forehand and his backhand, especially on this kind of surface, will be dangerous for everyone”.
The tie-break was crucial for this match. Rosol held serve Nadal was on fire after winning the breaker but Rosol bounced back and managed to hold serve. Nadal held serve with his serve for 1-1 and earned two break points but Rosol managed to save them. Rosol had to fend off another break point but Nadal finally got the break to take the 2-1 lead when Rosol hit his forehand into the net. The World Number 2 consolidated the break to love. Rosol did not give up and won an important game to close the gap to 2-3. In the eighth game Nadal held serve with an ace to go up 5-3. Rosol cruised to a 40-0 in the ninth game with a drop volley at the net. Nadal fought back but he steered a shot from Rosol into the net. Nadal served for the set and held serve to love in the next game to go up 2-1 on sets.
Nadal broke serve to love in the first game of the fourth set and consolidated the break by winning the second game to love. Rosol hit a powerful ace to end a 10-point losing streak. Nadal won another game to love with a winner down the line. Rosol won the next game to stay alive for 2-3. Nadal took the sixth game to love to pull away to 4-2. Rosol held serve to 30 to claw his way back to 3-4. Nadal hit a forehand winner into the corner to take a 5-3 lead. Rosol served to stay in the match but he managed to win the ninth game for 5-4.
Nadal faced a serious challenge in the final game of the match when he had to save a break point but he managed to clinch the match at deuce after an ace and a wayward shot from Rosol on the third match point.
Nadal is looking to score the Roland Garros-Wimbledon double three times after winning both Grand Slam tournaments in 2008 and 2010. The only player who managed to win this double three times was Bjorn Borg in 1978, 1979 and 1980
Nadal will face Michail Kukushkin in the third round
Diego Sampaolo
