Nursing a nagging foot injury, Rafael Nadal became the second player in ATP Tour history to start a season 18-0, edging Reilly Opelka 7-6 (3), 7-6 (5) on Wednesday in the fourth round of the Indian Wells Masters 2022. (More Tennis News)
Only Novak Djokovic has gotten off to better starts since 1990. The Serb went 26-0 to begin 2020 and 41-0 to open 2011. 바카라I can바카라t say it바카라s a dream because I even couldn바카라t dream about that three months ago, two months ago,바카라 Nadal said. 바카라I am just enjoying every single moment.바카라
Last year, Nadal바카라s playing time was interrupted by COVID-19 and injuries, creating doubt about the Spanish star바카라s ability to recover well enough to maintain his exacting standards. But he won his record 21st Grand Slam title at the Australian Open in January and has continued on a tear.
바카라I am just very happy to be playing tennis,바카라 said Nadal, who turns 36 in June. 바카라Today was a little bit worse than other days. It바카라s true that the last couple of days the foot has been bothering me a little bit more.바카라
Nadal has already withdrawn from the Miami Open 2022 that follows Indian Wells Masters 2022. He wants extra time to prepare for the clay-court season that isn바카라t as punishing as hard courts.
Nadal rallied from a 2-4 deficit in the second set to lead 6-5. Opelka held after three deuces when Nadal netted a forehand chasing the American바카라s drop shot to force the second tiebreaker.
Nadal led 4-1 in the tiebreaker when Opelka struggled on his service returns. On his serve, though, the 6-foot-11 American closed to 4-3, hitting winners on a drop shot and a forehand. Again on his serve, Opelka closed to 6-5.
But Nadal closed it out by pulling Opelka out of the court and the American바카라s backhand landed wide.
바카라It바카라s about trying to hit balls that you don바카라t take a lot of risks, but at the same time don바카라t allow him to go in and go for the shot,바카라 Nadal said. 바카라Is trying to find the right balance between these two things.바카라
There were no service breaks in the first set. Opelka fought off the only break point in the seventh game with a smash and forehand winner. Nadal held at love for 6-all, forcing the tiebreaker. Opelka led 3-2 with a forehand winner down the line.
Nadal won the next five points, all on errors by Opelka, to take the set. Nadal improved to 19-0 against American opponents since losing to John Isner at the 2017 Laver Cup.
Nadal, a three-time champion in the desert, advanced to the quarterfinals against wild-card Nick Kyrgios. The Australian advanced to his first ATP Tour quarterfinal since winning Washington in 2019 after 10th-seeded Jannik Sinner withdrew because of illness.
Taylor Fritz fired 14 aces in outlasting Alex de Minaur, 3-6, 6-4, 7-6 (5). 바카라I have more confidence in my shot, so when it comes crunch time, I feel like I can kind of trust what I want to do, trust my game,바카라 said Fritz, who reached the semifinals at Indian Wells last year.
Fritz next plays Miomir Kecmanovic of Serbia in the quarterfinals. Kecmanovic overcame 14 aces by No. 6 seed Matteo Berrettini in a 6-3, 6-7 (5), 6-4 victory. Grigor Dimitrov of Bulgaria beat Isner, 6-3, 7-6 (6) and next plays No. 7 Audrey Rublev, who defeated Hubert Hurkacz, 7-6 (5), 6-4.
In women바카라s play, Simona Halep routed Petra Martic, 6-1, 6-1 in 53 minutes to reach the semifinals. Halep won at Indian Wells in 2015 for her biggest hardcourt title to date.
