Rafael Nadal fought his way into the third round of the US Open in New York with major teething problems, a bleeding nose and slight dizziness. The 22-time tennis Grand Slam winner was behind against Fabio Fognini (Ita) 2: 6, 2: 4 before turning things around and triumphing 2: 6, 6: 4, 6: 2, 6: 1. In the finish, the victorious Spaniard stumbled again when his racket hit his nose violently after a backhand ball off the ground, causing a wound.
“It hurts a bit. But it looks like the nose isn’t broken. It’s just getting bigger and bigger,” Nadal commented on his mishap. “The same thing happened to me once with the golf club.” In any case, the prospect that the successful run will be extended is rosy. Nadal now meets Richard Gasquet (Fra), against whom he has a 17-0 record in direct duels.
In the women’s competition, Aryna Sabalenka delivered a memorable comeback. The 24-year-old from Belarus fought back against Kaia Kanepi (Est) after being 2: 6, 1: 5 behind and defending two match points, to ultimately gain the upper hand 2: 6, 7: 6 (8), 6: 4 to keep.
Source: Nachrichten
