The Spaniard makes the best match of the tournament against Sonego and reaches the second week of Wimbledon for the tenth time in his career
Any doubts that Rafa Nadal’s game on grass had this week were allayed this Saturday. With a stroke of the pen, with a flick of the hand, with a tennis exposition worthy of the best Nadal on the surface, to undress a Lorenzo Sonego (6-1, 6-2 and 6-4) melted by the intensity of the Spaniards.
The Italian did not believe in the level of the rival he was facing, the one who came to the trantran on the opening two laps and took off his mask to destroy him in front of the English crowd. His best game to date on grass, a show at the tennis cathedral that allowed him to sign his second week pass for the tournament for the tenth time at Wimbledon.
Nadal will fight for the title. That was the message the Spaniard sent with his demonstration of power against Sonego, that despite the horror he experienced with his tennis, several levels below Nadal’s, all he had to do was demand that the organization shut down before the excuse that he couldn’t see well in the natural light of London.
The truth is, by the time the transalpine’s complaints came in, his party was practically decided. He had been run over by a freight train named Nadal, perfect on service and accurate on return, the one that gave Sonego a head start, as at 1.91 he was unable to take any advantage of the service.
Nadal broke his serve five times, lost his own serve only once, and dealt him impossible strokes, such as a winning return without a corner bouncing straight into the service box and the line spitting to the winning points stat. A point that lifted the centre-back and sank Sonego, who he only ironically encouraged after making it 4-1 in the second set and breaking Nadal’s streak of nine games in a row.
The Italian’s slight delight didn’t change the course of a meeting ready for Nadal to convict him as soon as possible, but Sonego’s requests were granted.
Sonego reached his goal with 6-1, 6-2 and 4-2. After a few trips to the track, the tournament director gave the green light to cover the track due to lack of light.
Oddly enough, Nick Kyrgios-Stefanos Tsitsipas was played simultaneously on court 1, with no complaints about the light. Sonego cut the rhythm of the match, with a thirteen-minute break. He managed to annoy Nadal, who lost the first two games after braking, and also trick him with a scream in the middle of a point that the Balearics are blaming the transalpine.
Despite the setback, Nadal sealed the win with the last two games of the match. A tense conversation developed on the net between the two players, but when Sonego left the field, Nadal settled it with applause in front of his rival.
In the round of 16, Nadal will play against Botic Van de Zandschulp, whom he already defeated at Roland Garros this year. The Dutchman defeated Richard Gasquet in the third round.
Source: La Verdad
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