WATCH: ‘Unreal Return’ Rafael Nadal delivers an astonishing shot to steal the point against Denis Shapovalov
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Rafael Nadal
On Thursday, Rafael Nadal and Denis Shapovalov played in the third round of the Rome Masters. It was their sixth match on the Tour, and Nadal had won four of the previous five. Rafa and Denis have faced each other three times, the first time in Montreal in 2017 when the younger player stunned a Major winner in the deciding tie break.
After defeating John Isner in straight sets 6-3,6-1 in the second round of the Italian Open, Rafael Nadal set up this match with the young Canadian. Shapovalov, meanwhile, defeated Nikoloz Basilashvili in straight sets to set up the clash. Given their history on the court, the matchup was expected to be intense. Nevertheless, it did not fall short of expectations.
Given his domination in the field, it’s safe to anticipate that when the Spaniard takes the court on clay, there will be plenty of mind-boggling strokes and trick shots. In the match between the two rivals, the Mallorcan produced an incredible shot, using all of his skills to grab the point from Shapovalov. Shapovalov was already down one set in the second set, but he came out firing, leading 3-1. Rafael Nadal used one of his strong assets, his backhand, to offer a solid response to Shapovalov’s serve when the score was 30-0 in the fifth game.
Rafael Nadal was very close to delivering the ‘Shot of 2022’
Nadal appeared to be on a mission in the third round match of the Italian Open to deliver world-class shots, as he once again provided a feast for all tennis fans. Nadal struggled to take control of the second set after dominating the first, as the young Canadian produced some of his finest tennis. During the match, both players were at their best. When the score was 4-1 in the second set, the two competitors had a rally in which Nadal attempted to conclude the rally by jumping and using his backhand to make a shot that could have been the shot of the year, but Denis Shapovalov stopped him. He saved the shot with class and prevented the Spaniard to score the point.
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Pritha Ghosh
(414 Articles Published)