“Will fight till the end”- Rafael Nadal sends a warning to Novak Djokovic after a tough victory against Felix Auger-Aliassime
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Rafael Nadal
Rafael Nadal earned a spot in the much-anticipated quarterfinal against Novak Djokovic, but it wasn’t easy, For the third time at Roland Garros, the Spaniard had to play five sets, but he eventually defeated ninth seed Felix Auger-Aliasimme 3-6, 6-3, 6-2, 3-6, 6-3.
Rafael Nadal won 3-6 after a four-hour battle with Canadian Auger-Aliassime. 6-3, 6-2, 3-6, and 6-3. This was one of Felix Auger- Aliassime’s greatest matches, but he still could not dethrone the ‘King of clay’ in the arena where he has dominated for the past 15 years.
Also Read: WATCH: ‘UNBELIEVABLE’- Felix Auger-Aliassime’s incredible drop shot leaves fans awestruck
“It was a tough first set for me”- Rafael Nadal
Felix got off to a strong start, and he took Nadal by surprise, and it was a big one. He led 3-1 and then 5-1 in the first set, but lost 6-3 in the second. Nadal struggled with the return and appeared to be in a slump in this match. In the next two sets, things shifted as Nadal finally regained his stride. He served better, his backhand was on point, and his forehand continued to do what had made it famous for so long. In those two sets, a total 19-9 winner-to-error ratio did plenty of damage, and Felix couldn’t take it. In both sets, his ratio was negative, which was just unacceptable.
In the fourth set, Auger-Aliassime pulled off another stunning move that surprised Nadal. The Canadian was abrasive, and he went after Nadal, who was unable to keep up. He made far too many errors, and despite regaining the early lead, Auger was able to hang on and win the set 6-3. Both players played well in the final set, but it was Rafael Nadal who was able to find solutions in the end.
In a game where Auger simply made a few poor decisions, he took a timeout at 4-3. Nadal subsequently clinched the match with a 6-3 victory in the final set, which he enthusiastically celebrated. A good match but now comes Novak Djokovic in the French Open quarterfinal.
In his on-court interview, the Spaniard said, “It has been an important victory for me, without a doubt. I did not start the match well. It was a tough first set for me. After coming back, I finished the third playing well and then the fourth was tough.” Auger-Aliassime was honoured by Nadal, who said, “It was difficult, he has a huge serve. He puts you under pressure and I was not able to push him back. I had to do something different at the end of the match. I am happy about the attitude at the end as I played more aggressive and went more to the net and that made a difference.”
In response to the forthcoming clash with Djokovic, Nadal said, “We know each other well and have a lot of history. We are in Roland-Garros, it is my favourite place and I will be focused. I will try my best as always, I do not know what will happen, but I can guarantee and I will fight until the end.”
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Pritha Ghosh
(414 Articles Published)