“Today was so-so. It was not going too badly, then in the second set, a little worse. But I was able to keep running until the end, right? It’s always the same thing, in fact“, said Nadal, who hasn’t stopped repeating since his flamboyant comeback at the start of the year, after more than four months of an absence due to surgery, that his left foot “will never be returned to 100%“.
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“These last two days, the foot has bothered me a little more”
“I do not lie. It is true that these last two days, the foot bothered me a little more. It is something that can happen. I know it. I’m just trying to be ready and stay positive because this is going to be my last hard court tournament. Then I’ll go back to clay“, continued Nadal, who will seek a 14th coronation at Roland-Garros in June.
“I’m going to have to make one last effort to behave as well as possible here. Hope my foot holds up. I don’t think about it too much, I just think about my tennis and my next opponent. If something happens, I’ll have to accept it“, he added. To continue his journey in the Californian desert, where he already has three coronations, Nadal will have to beat the Australian Nick Kyrgios (132nd, from qualifying).
Four points in a row and Nadal pockets the 1st set against Opelka
“It’s my best game of the tournament”
This would allow him to earn an 18th victory in a row and remain undefeated in 2022, after winning three titles, at the ATP 250 in Melbourne, the Australian Open and the Acapulco tournament. “It’s quite surprising to me, I can’t say it’s a dream come true, because I couldn’t even dream of that two, three months ago. But I savor every moment (…) There, I am happy to be in quarters. It’s my best match of the tournament. I did what I had to do against Opelka, a very difficult player to play“, he said again.
“There was this slump, during which I played very badly. But the important thing is to know yourself, to know the things you control best, and in moments of pressure, to play those shots on which you feel more confident.“, explained Nadal, who was indeed broken in the second set by committing two double faults in particular, before quickly rectifying the situation.
“To keep the pressure on the opponent, you first need confidence, which allows you to feel more relaxed. It’s easier to play in those moments. The other essential factor is training. All my life, I trained with great intensity, as if I were playing a game. It also helps to manage these kinds of moments“, like tie-breaks, he further explained. Will he still illustrate it this weekend in California?
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