Rafael Nadal beat Norwegian Casper Ruud 7-6 (4) and 7-5, in a festive exhibition match played this Saturday in Belo Horizonteas part of Brazilian Bruno Soares’ farewell to tennis.
Soares’ last match in Belo Horizonte, where he was born 40 years ago, was the reason for the presentation of two of today’s best tennis players, who they played in front of about 5,000 people gathered in the Mineirinho gym.
Nadal and Ruud were not needed, but gave some high level points and the match went in favor of Mallorca’s tennis player.
The party started with a doubles match where Soares and another legend of the specialty, American Bob Bryan, faced Brazilians Marcelo Melo and Rafael Matos.
It was only one set, which ended 6-6. For the tiebreaker, Soares asked to switch partners to play his “last tiebreak” with Melo, his old Davis Cup doubles partner, which he won 7-4.
Soares, who announced his retirement from professional sports in September, dominated the doubles and in 2016 reached second place in the ATP lists.
Among his companions on the tracks he has the British Jamie Murraythe Austrian Alexander Peya and Marcelo Melo, now a rival but with whom he has played dozens of games in his career.
With Murray, he won the Australian and United States Opens in 2016, and repeated in the final tournament in 2020, but with Croatian Mate Pavic.
Nadal’s presence is part of a Latin American tour that the Spanish tennis player started on Wednesday in Argentina, then continued to Chile and, after a stopover in Brazil, will continue in EcuadorColombia and Mexico, where he will finish his exhibitions.
Source: La Verdad
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