Rafael Nadal is still in the running for the Grand Slam. The Australian and Roland-Garros champion has climbed to the round of 16 at Wimbledon.
He won in four sets, 6-4 6-4 4-6 6-3, ahead of the Lithuanian Ricardas Berankis (ATP 197). Already hooked on Tuesday by the Argentinian Francisco Cerundolo (ATP 41), Rafael Nadal did not demonstrate during his first two rounds that he had found his footing as a gardener. ‘I haven’t played at Wimbledon since 2019. We can understand that each match is a real challenge,’ says the man with 22 Grand Slam titles.
Saturday, Rafael Nadal will be opposed to the Italian Lorenzo Sonego (ATP 54). Like Matteo Berrettini, the grass does not scare the transalpine player. On this surface, he was titled in 2019 in Antalya and finalist in 2021 in Eastbourne.
But in a table in which no longer appear Berrettini, Félix Auger-Aliassime and Marin Cilic, Rafael Nadal sees his way cleared until a possible semi-final against Stefanos Tsitsipas or Nick Kyrgios, called to face each other on Saturday in a real ‘blockbuster’.
/ATS