After more than three hours of play and before the end of the second set, the German abandoned on injury.
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Rafael Nadal is in the Roland-Garros final. Normal, we would be tempted to say, as the Spanish player is customary because. Since 2005 and his first steps on the Parisian ocher, the Mallorcan has now extracted fourteen times from the last square. Friday, June 3, the day of his 36th birthday, Nadal benefited from the abandonment of his opponent, the German Alexander Zverev, injured while the second round was not completed – after more than three hours of play (7- 6 [10-8], 6-6).
In a disjointed part, and in the covered Philippe-Chatrier courtyard (due to thunderstorms threatening the Paris region), the two opponents fought an intense fight. Failing to reach the mastery of certain meetings disputed by Nadal -like his victory Wednesday against Novak Djokovic in quarters -, the two men stood incessantly.
After 1 h 31 of play, they barely completed the first round, won at the decisive game by Nadal, and were already trying to catch their breath. Although in front of the brand, the man with thirteen crowns at the Grand Chelem tournament of the Porte d’Auteuil was struggling against the world number 3, firmly determined to beat the owner of the premises, and climb to the final.
The second round, just as contested, saw the players take turns taking the service game of the other (eight breaks in all in this set), making the outcome of the uncertain round. Between certain points disputed until it lacks breath (an exchange went up to 44 shots) and big mistakes on both sides, very clever which could have predicted the outcome of the meeting.
“More than three hours of play and we haven’t even finished the second set”
Until this stroke of the spell, after three hours and thirteen minutes of play game. While Rafael Nadal had the opportunity to equalize to six games everywhere, and to send the two men back to a new tie-break, Alexander Zverev rose, on the right of the court. His forehand came out of the field, but the crowd – widely acquired by the cause of Nadal – did not really show his joy. On the impulse, the right foot of the German has violently turned, and “Sacha” rolled on the clay of the central court.
In tears and unable to get up alone, the player was forced to get out of the field on a wheelchair. After endless minutes, the German returned to the court, using crutches, signify his abandonment. And benefit from a huge public ovation, welcoming his courage.
“We played a huge match, more than three hours of play, and we did not even finish the second set …”, praised Rafael Nadal, winner therefore by default, at the microphone of Mats Wilander. “I am very sad for him, he was playing incredibly well, and I know how much he fights to win a Grand Chelem tournament. And I know he’s not going to win one, but much more. I wish him A lot of courage. “The player has embarked at length Zverev when the latter returned to the court.
“For me, being once again in the final here is huge, but, at the same time, it’s really strange to do so in these circumstances,” said Nadal, who “benefited”, for the second time in his career, an injury to an opponent at Roland-Garros. In 2017, the Majorquin qualified for the semi-finals following the abandonment of his compatriot Pablo Carreno-Busta.
Once again, Rafael Nadal is therefore in the Roland-Garros final. Even if the circumstances are not those he imagined, the Mallorcan will play his fourteenth final at the Porte d’Auteuil on Sunday, against the winner of the second semi-final, between Casper Ruud and Marin Cilic. He won the thirteen he previously played.