Rafael Nadal Reaches First Wimbledon Quarter-Final Since 2011 After Straight-Forward Vesely Win - UBITENNIS

Rafael Nadal Reaches First Wimbledon Quarter-Final Since 2011 After Straight-Forward Vesely Win

Rafael Nadal reache his first Wimbledon quarter-final since 2011 after a straight sets victory over Jiri Vesely.

By Tony Fairbairn
3 Min Read
Rafael Nadal (zimbio.com)

Rafael Nadal reached his first Wimbledon quarter-final since 2011 after a 6-3 6-3 6-4 victory over Jiri Vesely.

The Spaniard started the match with great authority as he dominated the points with his topspin forehand as Vesely struggled to introduce his forehand into the match. The world number looked comfortable in dissecting Vesely’s serve and took full advantage in the fourth game as he broke on his first opportunity for a 3-1 lead.

The world number 93 was struggling to find any rhythm on return as Nadal’s first serve percentage was increasing with each service game. As Vesely was struggling, Nadal was thriving on Centre Court as he wrapped up a routine first set in 31 minutes.

The key difference in this match was the killer instinct of Nadal, compared to the one of Vesely as the Spaniard kicked into gear when he needed to. The Czech Republican couldn’t deal with Nadal’s vicious and precise groundstroke as he broke to love in the fifth game for a 3-2 lead.

The decision making of Vesely also didn’t help his cause as there were times where dropshots failed to reach the net as he couldn’t tame Nadal’s power. The Spaniard broke again at the end of the set to grab a commanding two sets to love lead as Vesely looked lost and inexperience on Centre Court.

The third set saw some resistance from the Czech Republican as he used his smart Tennis IQ to grab his first break of the match and secure a 3-2 lead. However the advantage didn’t last long as his poor decision making and Nadal’s impressive athleticism saw the Spaniard regain control as he broke back immediately. Despite an improved set from the big server, he couldn’t prevent Nadal for long as the Spaniard secured his fifth break of the match to reach his first Wimbledon quarter-final since 2011.

It was an impressive win for Nadal as he looks ever more comfortable on this hot and rising grass court as a bigger test is expected in the last eight. The two time champion will now play either Juan Martin Del Potro or Gilles Simon on Wednesday.

 

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