Despite being 2-0 down in sets against 25-year-old Russian Daniil Medvedev, the 35-year-old celebrated a memorable 2-6.6-7(5)-6-4-6-4-7-5 and celebrated his 21st place in the game. Time about the title at a Grand Slam tournament. Just after a long injury break, he overtook Novak Djokovic and Roger Federer.
The 25-year-old Medvedev actually seemed to set the route with the break to 3: 2 in the first set. He won the first round quite safely 6: 2, before Nadal put him on the defensive for the first time in the second with a break to 3: 1. Medvedev worked his way back from 3:5 to the tie-break, which from his point of view was a success. A banner read “Abolish the detention of refugees.” Security forces immediately shielded the finalists and arrested the individual.
Nadal did not give up on the historic achievement. The third set was balanced up to 4: 4, Nadal finally made the break and served to 6: 4. The fourth movement was not only a battle with one’s own physique, but also a battle of nerves. Once again, Medvedev quarreled with the audience, which had clearly sided with Nadal.
Nadal made the break to make it 2-1, and after Medvedev’s re-break broke the Russian’s serve again to make it 3-2. With a 4:3 lead, he fended off two breakballs, got the 5:3 and finally had a set ball as a receiver. The game still went to Medvedev, but Nadal was finally back in the match with a zero service game.
In the final set, Medvedev fended off a breakball at 2-2, only to concede the 2-3. The Russian defended himself, earned three breakballs as a result, but was unable to use any and was 2: 4 behind. The following games went to the respective servers before Nadal showed the supposedly decisive nerve and a double fault. Medvedev converted the first breakball to 5: 5 and ensured a highly dramatic finish. But Nadal stayed cool, took his opponent’s serve again and used the first match ball after 5:24 hours.
Nadal not only overtook 40-year-old Federer, who was missing in Australia after knee surgery and only wants to return to the tour in the summer. He also placed ahead of Djokovic in the ranking of major titles, who had taken himself out of the game after the sensational entry posse and his unwillingness to vaccinate before the start of the tournament.
Source: Nachrichten
