The Balearic tennis player, current champion, falls for a great Mackenzie McDonald in a match marked by a physical problem of the Spaniard in the second set
There will be a new champion in Australia. Rafa Nadal, current champion of the first Grand Slam of the year, was defeated in the second round of the tournament by Mackenzie McDonald (6-4, 6-3 and 7-5), in a match marked by an injury to the tennis ball. player from Manacor in the second manga, when he was already behind on the leaderboard against the North American player.
Nadal, who did not arrive in the best conditions at the first Grand Slam of the season, with only one victory in the course and against a player who was also weakened like Jack Draper, blamed the lack of rhythm against a McDonald who was superior in all facets of the game.game for the Spaniard’s physical misfortune.
The Spaniard’s problems came at the end of the second set, 4-3 in favor of the North American. A deep right hand from McDonald trying to reach Nadal, with the misfortune of noticing a strong pull on the back of his left leg. With doubtful looks on his bench, Nadal asked for a physio to calm the pain and continue playing, although much reduced.
Nadal, despite the pain and obvious discomfort, ended the match in a third set in which he could barely move, serving almost without jumping and shooting with quality and arm to save his points. An example of honor.
We saw the emotional picture at the end of the game when the entire crowd at the Rod Laver Arena gave Nadal a standing ovation as he went to the locker room. The man from Manacor, far from leaving the track on the faster side, came to the center of the track to respond with applause. An emotional and disturbing gesture for who knows if his last Australian Open.
With this defeat, the reigning champion says goodbye to a tournament that was hard on paper at the time he went through. Nadal has consolidated in sixth position in the ATP rankings and is just 1,000 points away from leaving the top 10, something that hasn’t happened since 2005. The extent of the injury has yet to be known and whether the Spaniard will be able to participate. in the following races of the circuit.
Awards for McDonald’s
The American tennis player has played the best match of his career. With a first serve percentage of over 80% and few unforced errors, McDonald was the best player on the court even before Nadal’s injury.
In the first set, the American Nadal clearly got into trouble with his serve, where he fell apart twice. Dazzling and offensive play to surprise a Nadal surpassed by the level of the American. In the second set, the Spaniard came back from a 2-0 deficit, but his rival again responded with another break, just before the Spaniard’s physical accident.
McDonald, 27 years old and number 65 on the ATP ranking, will face the winner of the match between Dalibor Svrcina and Yoshito Nishioka in the third round.
Source: La Verdad
I am Shawn Partain, a journalist and content creator working for the Today Times Live. I specialize in sports journalism, writing articles that cover major sporting events and news stories. With a passion for storytelling and an eye for detail, I strive to be accurate and insightful in my work.
