“I have not been injured, I am a player who lives with an injury. There is nothing new”declared Nadal after losing 1-6, 7-5 and 6-2 with the Canadian Denis Shapovalov (16).
The world number 4 and king of clay won comfortably the first set, but from the second he began to have problems in his movements affected by the chronic injury that he suffers in one foot and that forced him to end his season passed in the month of August, which does not bode well for Roland Garros.
Nadal has suffered for years from Müller-Weiss syndrome, a degenerative disease characterized by deformation of one of the foot bones. It is an incurable disease, but it has not prevented the Spaniard from having a successful career, although it has made him have to stop at various times.
The man from Manaco returned at the beginning of the year and won the Australian Open to add his 21st Grand Slam, a record, although after the American tour he stopped again due to a rib problem in Indian Wells and reappeared on the courts at the Masters 1000 Madrid last week, where he lost in the quarterfinals to his 19-year-old compatriot Carlos Alcaraz, the new sensation on the ATP circuit.
“Unfortunately, my day to day is difficult, but that’s how it is. Sometimes I have a hard time accepting the situation of not being able to train normally for days”He explained this Thursday. “Today it started to hurt me in the middle of the second set and it has become unbearable,” admitted a Nadal who does not give up Roland Garros.
“I have to accept the situation and fight. I still have a goal for a week and a few days. I dream of that goal. Today I couldn’t play, but maybe in two days it will be better,” he said.
Shapovalov will face Norwegian Casper Ruud (10) in the quarterfinals for a place in the semifinals.
Nadal’s elimination was the big news of the fourth day at the Foro Italico, which saw the victory of other favorites in the men’s draw.
Novak Djokovicworld number 1, had no mercy on the Swiss Stan Wawrinka, former number 3 who tries to return to the circuit after a year and a half of injuries, defeating him by a double 6-2.
In both sets, Djokovic broke the serve of the 37-year-old Swiss from the start to dominate on the scoreboard, although in the second half he had more difficulty scoring the partial as Wawrinka played better, forcing the Serb to execute several big shots class.
In this way, Djokovic can maintain his preparation for Roland Garros, where he will defend the crown obtained last year.
After a difficult start to the season, in which he was unable to play on the Australian and American tours due to not being vaccinated against Covid-19, Djokovic has had an irregular campaign on clay, with an early elimination in Monte Carlo, a semifinal in Madrid and the final in Belgrade.
On Friday he will face the Canadian Felix Auger-Aliassime (9th) in the quarterfinals, who beat the American Marcos Giron, executioner of Diego Schwartzman on Wednesday. In case of defeat, Djokovic will cede the world number 1 to Daniil Medvedev, despite the fact that the Russian is absent in Rome.
Other favorites such as the German Alexander Zverev, number 3 in the world, and the Greek Stefanos Tsitsipas (5th), also advanced to the quarterfinals.
Zverev, 25, achieved his 100th Masters 1000 victory in Rome, defeating Australian Alex de Miñaur 6-3, 7-6 (7/5) in the round of 16 and will face Chilean Christian Garín (45th) in the quarterfinals. , who achieved a prestigious victory against Croatian veteran Marin Cilic (23rd) 6-3, 4-6, 6-4.
Zverev won the first major title of his career in Rome in 2017, defeating Novak Djokovic in the final. The following year, he lost the final against Rafael Nadal, against whom he would fall in the quarters again last year.
For his part, Tsitsipas lost his first set 4-6 against the Russian Karen Khachanov (24th) but swept the next two segments 6-0 and 6-3, to guarantee his pass to the quarterfinals, where he will face Jannik Sinner (13th). ).
In the women’s category, the Polish Iga Swiatek, number 1 in the world, defeated the Belarusian Victoria Azarenka (16th) 6-4, 6-1, and advances to the quarterfinals.
With this victory, after a very difficult first set for the Pole, Swiatek extends her winning streak to 25 and looks for her fifth consecutive title, a few weeks before the start of Roland Garros.
Source: Ambito
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