It’s almost 11 p.m. As Billie Jean King strikes a pose in the bowels of the Rod Laver Arena for a photograph capturing her reunion with some of the “Original 9”, the group of players who sparked the revolution in professional women’s tennis in the early 1990s 1970, resulting in the creation of the WTA, Anton Dubrov and Jason Stacy, coach and physical trainer of Aryna Sabalenka, emerge from a hallway with eyes full of emotions.
Adrian Mannarino signed his first “regular” victory in Melbourne over John Isner (6-7 (7), 7-6 (8), 6-2, 6-2). Here he is in the second round where he will face Alex de Minaur.
In nine confrontations, Adrian Mannarino had beaten John Isner only once. And once more, on a retirement following two games, at Wimbledon 2013. The Frenchman finally signed his first “regular” victory over the American by dominating him in the first round of the Australian Open 6-7 (7) , 7-6 (8), 6-2, 6-2. Although Isner suffered from lower back pain from the start of the third set, “Manna” clearly dominated this second part of the match.
The meeting had indeed been interrupted by the rain on Tuesday evening, while Isner led 7-6, 3-4, 30-0. It resumed on Wednesday in very windy conditions. She clearly rocked at the end of the second set. Already summoned to save three break points at 5 everywhere, Mannarino still had to dismiss two set points in the tie-break that followed. A superb backhand volley and a smash erased this double threat. A subtle dipping backhand pass then brought it back level, one set all.
Complaining of pain in his lower back, Isner left the court at 2-1 in the third set to be handled by the physio. The intervention did not have the desired effect. Less sharp in the service (only 21 aces in four sets), more and more awkward in the exchange (42 unforced errors), where the low trajectories of the French martyred him, the American withered in the third and fourth sets. Mannarino concludes the game without flinching, on a shutout and an ace. He will face in the second round Alex de Minaur, seeded 22, knocker in three sets of the Taiwanese Yu-Hsiou Hsu.
Apart from Roland-Garros, Rafael Nadal has never managed to retain a Grand Slam title and the Australian Open 2023 will be no exception to the rule. This Wednesday, the Spaniard, first dominated on a regular basis then injured in the upper left thigh towards the end of the second set, was eliminated in the second round by the American Mackenzie McDonald, 65th player in the world (6-4, 6-4, 7-5).
From the start of the match, Nadal did not appear in total control of his tennis. Facing the American player with clean and flat shots, the No. 1 seed lost his entry service, then a second time at 3-1. A single break was not enough to get him back on track in this round, despite an equalizer at 5-5 which he failed to convert (6-4).
In the second set, the Spaniard rebounded from 0-2 to 2-2, putting more weight on his ball and looking able to get the upper hand, but he lost his lead once more at 3-3. In the next game, at 15A on McDonald’s serve, Nadal hurt himself on an extension and might not complete his movement to defend with a forehand.
He then let two aces pass without attempting to return, before leaving the court for a few minutes to be manipulated by the tournament physio. On the return, it was clear that he might not give his full measure in the displacements. He exchanged several times with the members of his clan, as if to ask their opinion on whether to give up or not.
Once led two sets to nothing, Nadal managed to keep his service up to 4-4 without having to save a break point. He then saved with an ace at the T the first ball of 5-4 from the American. But at 5-5, the latter did not miss his second opportunity of the set and broke on a backhand passing. Before concluding years to tremble once morest Nadal prevented and helpless (6-4, 6-4, 7-5 in 2:27). Winner a year ago in Melbourne, Rafael Nadal left the tournament this time on his third day. He will also leave the world top 5 at the end of this Australian Open.
Published on : Modified :
Spaniard Rafael Nadal won his 21st Grand Slam tournament on Sunday by beating Russian Daniil Medvedev in the Australian Open final. He thus overtakes Roger Federer and Novak Djokovic.
Rafael Nadal won, on Sunday January 30, a historic 21e Grand Slam title by beating Russian Daniil Medvedev in the Australian Open final, 2-6, 6-7 (5/7), 6-4, 6-4, 7-5 in 5:24.
The Spaniard becomes at 35 the only record holder for Majors among men, now with a head start on the Swiss Roger Federer and the Serbian Novak Djokovic.
On Instagram, Roger Federer praised the “incredible work ethic, commitment and fighting spirit” that allowed his rival to become the first tennis player to win 21 Grand Slam titles.
Novak Djokovic reacted on Twitter, hailing Nadal’s “impressive fighting spirit”.
Congratulations to @RafaelNadal for 21st GS. Amazing achievement. Always impressive fighting spirit that prevailed another time. Enhorabuena ???????????? @Medwed33 gave it his all out there and played with the passion and determination we have come to expect from him. pic.twitter.com/DsOvK8idNc
— Novak Djokovic (@DjokerNole) January 30, 2022
This final in Melbourne between Medvedev and Nadal was a rematch of the one won in five sets by the Spaniard at the US Open in 2019. It was, at the time, the first time that the Russian reached the match for the title in a Grand Slam and, despite heroic resistance, he gave in and allowed Nadal to win his 19e Major.
This year, Medvedev might take advantage of the experience of two additional major finals played in 2021: one lost on the Australian Rod Laver court once morest Djokovic and the other won on the New York Arthur-Ashe once morest the same Serb .
And Christmas (5e world) might immediately feel the difference: following three close first games, the Russian clearly took the upper hand in the first set.
The Spaniard tried everything: lengthen the exchanges, shorten them, go to the net, play short, long… Nothing might destabilize Medvedev, who easily won the first set.
In the second set, which lasted 84 minutes alone, the Russian lost his superb service and found himself under pressure: Nadal twice scored the break but his opponent came back at 5-5. Both men came to the tiebreaker, where Medvedev concluded on his first chance.
To stay in the game, Nadal – who is recovering from a foot injury that cost him six months of competition last year and a very tiring Covid-19 contamination in December – was condemned to the exploit on almost every point, like this drop at the start of the second set which allowed him to win a point following 40 blows exchanged.
But with Nadal, nothing is impossible!
In the third set, he saved three break points to come back at 3-3. And it was he who took the service of his opponent to lead 5-4 and serve for the set. He concluded with a furious long-line forehand.
The Spaniard then managed the decisive break to lead 3-2 on his seventh break point and he equalized in two sets everywhere.
And the decisive set became unbreathable. Having earned the break to lead 3-2, Nadal was caught at 5-5 as he served for the game and was just two points away from victory.
Medvedev therefore returned but once more lost his service game and, this time, Nadal offered himself three match points and concluded.
This new title allows Nadal not only to get ahead of his rivals, but also to become the second player in the Open era (since 1968) to win at least twice each of the four Grand Slam tournaments, following Novak Djokovic.
With 90 trophies, the place of world number 1 occupied for 209 weeks, four Davis Cups and two Olympic gold medals, in singles and doubles, he has at 35 the most abundant prize list, with those of Novak Djokovic and Roger Federer .
He himself places above his two victories on the grass of Wimbledon in 2008 and 2010, especially the first, won in a legendary match once morest the Swiss champion, co-author with him of one of the most fascinating soap operas in the history of the sport.
It was on clay, the slowest and most demanding ground for the head and the legs, that his art reached its perfection. For more than a decade, from April to June, he was almost unbeatable thanks to his enormous lift and his slides: 395 games won out of 430 played, nearly 92% success.
His Parisian triumphs, from 2005 to 2008, from 2010 to 2014 and from 2017 to 2020, were his masterpieces. No champion has ever managed to win the same Grand Slam tournament so often.
No one either has ever won 81 straight matches on clay, a record set between April 2005 and May 2007, nor stacked 62 titles on this surface.
With his 21e title of the Grand Slam, Rafael Nadal therefore wins a new record for major titles for a player, but the Spaniard is still three lengths behind Margaret Court, 24 times victorious in the Grand Slam.
With AFP
Hosted by ByoHosting - Most Recommendeed Webhhosting. For complains, abuse, advertising contact:
[email protected]