Rafael Nadal struggled in his first grass-court match of the season but managed to get the job done during second-round action at the Mercedes Cup on Thursday. Nadal held off Marcos Baghdatis 7-6(5), 6-7(4), 6-2 in two hours and 40 minutes.
“It was a little bit of a strange match,” the world No. 10 reflected. “I’m happy to be through. It’s an important victory for me. The first match on grass is always very difficult…. At the beginning I didn’t play my best, but I finished the match much better than how I started.”
Highlights:
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KDXThgl3oqo]
The quarterfinal showdown fans wanted see would have been Nadal vs. Tommy Haas. They will still get a good one on Friday, but it will be Bernard Tomic facing the top-seeded Spaniard instead of Haas. Tomic ended the 37-year-old German’s comeback tournament with a 7-6(6), 6-2 victory.
Haas seemed to have the first set wrapped up when he served at 6-4 in the tiebreaker, as he struck a perfect backhand approach shot. But Tomic came up with the shot of the day, an on-the-run backhand pass. The Aussie promptly won three more points in succession to steal the opening frame of play. Tomic maintained control the rest of the way and advanced after one hour and 16 minutes.
Highlights:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IgkYp3KBmXA
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Reblogged this on Tennis Abides.
“………………the world No. 10 reflected.”
This is but a blip, of this I am certain.
Hd it been Federer, it would have been ‘the former world #1’.