(Barcelona) One month before the Roland Garros tournament, Rafael Nadal is still around: World No. 3 ended a series of nine wins for Stefanos Tsitsipas, who beat them in the final in Barcelona 6-4, 6-7 (8/6). , 7-5, 12 wine Times on Catalan clay.
Nadal, who won the tournament for the first time in 2005, won after a battle that lasted more than 3 hours and 30 minutes, having saved a match point. Tsitsipas, 5e world, remained the first Masters 1000, a week earlier at the Monte-Carlo Championship.
“It means a lot to me to play the final here and win. I’ve improved my form throughout the week and this cup represents a lot,” Mallorcan’s reaction, who had to fight in previous rounds, especially in the quarter-finals against Japanese Kei Nishikori who had also been awarded to him Collection.
Photo by Albert Gia, Reuters
Nadal collects records: With 12 victories in Barcelona, ​​he is well ahead of Romanian Elie Nastas (4 wins) and a group of three players by three titles: Australian Roy Emerson, Spain’s Manuel Orantes and Sweden’s Mats Wellander. .
The Spaniard also cemented his position as the record holder in clay victories with 61 titles, compared to 49 for Argentine Guillermo Villas.
‘Accept the challenge’
“It’s a daily job, accepting a challenge, staying humble when you don’t play well sometimes and you have to fight and find solutions every day,” added the Spaniard who will remain a favorite at Roland Garros (May 30 – June 13) who has already won 13 times and will celebrate his birthday. Thirty-fifth.
Against Tsitsipas, one of the most fit players at the moment, who last Sunday beat Monaco Rock against Russian Andrei Rublev, Nadal exchanged between the very good and the less good, who broke at the start of the group, at 1he is Like the word 2e. But every time, as a pure landowner, they did not release a point, Mallorca came back.
The rematch for Tsitsipas, who withdrew in the final in Barcelona, ​​was already in 2018 against Nadal, while the Greek was not in the match yet. Top 100.
Photo by Albert Gia, Reuters
Stefanos Tsetsipas
It appears to have the upper hand in 1Return On the tour, he saw Nadal, who won the set (6-4), come back after 59 minutes. 2e The group appears to be a carbon copy of 1he is But Tsitsipas tightened the match and saved Nadal’s first match points in this round to win the decisive match (6/8) and score 3 points.e Some.
At the end of 3e Once again the epic action and match 3:38, Nadal has shown, despite nearly 35 years, that he is still the strongest ocher on Earth.
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