Rafa Nadal fell this Wednesday 7-6 (9), 4-6 and 6-3 against Croatian Borna Coric in his debut at the Cincinnati Masters 1,000, in his first match after an abdominal injury forced him to withdraw from Wimbledon.
Nadal, champion this year at the Australian Open, Roland Garros, Melbourne and Acapulco, He had not played since July 6 and surrendered to Coric after a game of two hours and 53 minutes.
Nadal never lacked commitment or desire to fight, but his stomach problem continued to condition his game and prevented him from competing with complete calm.
The Mallorcan, winner of this tournament in 2013, leveled the match with a great reaction in the second set, after wasting two set points in the first, but he succumbed in the third to the powerful and aggressive tennis of his rival.
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because coricwhich argued for Cincinnati in a protected ranking, he showed the talent that led him in 2018 to become number 12 in the worldbefore a long series of injuries stunted his growth.
The Croatian, who had already defeated Nadal in the same tournament in 2016, He now has a record of three wins and two losses against Nadal.
It was a physically and mentally demanding match, which was delayed for an hour and a half by rain in Cincinnati when Nadal was leading 5-4 in the first set.
Up until that moment, Nadal played a good level game, solid on serveand even after the break he got two set points, in the tiebreaker, to take advantage.
However, he was unable to take advantage of them and made a double fault that cost him the first quarter (9-11).
Rafa did not lose his composure and gradually managed to pave the way for a breakout opportunity that came at 3-3 and which he would convert to lead at 4-3. He gave Coric no options and tied the match at 6-4.
Inertia was again in their favor and they had 0-30 with Coric on serve with 1-1 on the scoreboard which could have been a chance to complete the comeback.
He failed to capitalize on that opportunity and Coric, who was 3-2 up in the light, did the break that launched him to 4-2 and that opened the way to victory.
Nadal himself, in the press conference after the match, recognized that he did not play “his best game” and this tournament was “historically difficult” for him.
Coric didn’t waver when it came to sticking to his turns on serve and ruled out the match 6-4 which sent him into the round of 16, where will be Roberto Bautista’s rival.
The Castellón native reached this round after defeating the American Marcos Giron this Wednesday, 6-3, 6-3.
They know each other well, because this Thursday is their eighth confrontation, Bautista winning four, to Coric’s three.
After Nadal was eliminated, The Cincinnati tournament remained with Bautista and Carlos Alcaraz in the men’s box.
Alcaraz will face Croatian Marin Cilic this Thursday.
Source: La Verdad
I am Ida Scott, a journalist and content author with a passion for uncovering the truth. I have been writing professionally for Today Times Live since 2020 and specialize in political news. My career began when I was just 17; I had already developed a knack for research and an eye for detail which made me stand out from my peers.
