2024-04-17 17:47:38
By Le Figaro with AFP
Published 2 hours ago, Updated 6 minutes ago
Rafa was unable to do anything against Alex De Minaur in great form this season. Albert Gea / REUTERS
Engaged this April 17 against Alex de Minaur in the second round of the Barcelona tournament, the Spaniard only lasted one set before losing severely 7-5 6-1.
Rafael Nadal, down to 644th in the world and who made his return this week after more than three months of absence, was eliminated on Wednesday in the 2nd round of the Barcelona tournament by the Australian Alex De Minaur (11th), winner 7-5 , 6-1 in their duel.
The day after an uneventful return against the Italian Flavio Cobolli, the 37-year-old Spaniard, with 22 Grand Slam titles, fell on a bone against the Australian, a player of a completely different caliber, currently at the gates of the world top 10, which showed him how far he had to go to hope to become the master on clay again.
“The 6-1 in the second set is what should have happened today”Nadal said at a press conference, explaining that he wanted to take it easy. “This is how I have to proceed today, to give myself a chance to be competitive at Roland-Garros”he added. “I will try to take another step in Madrid, then in Rome, and if in a tournament it is worth giving everything and dying, it is in Paris.”
Resistant and even at times vintage in the first set, with a few flashes reminding us of the extent to which his left arm is capable of doing damage, Nadal was able to catch up after a diesel start which saw his opponent 12 years his junior take him delight with its entrance service.
Finally fully into his match, the Majorcan broke to return to 3-3, at the heart of a vibrant sequence during which he took control of the game. At times, the spectators, present in the stands of the court which now bears his name, saw Nadal make the powder speak, in his very own register of a fierce defender who always ends up counter-attacking even harder.
Condition to perfect
He got himself a break point at 4-3, but De Minaur was able to put the gas back into his game, increasing his aggression. In turn pushed to make mistakes, Nadal was sometimes impatient. Which resulted in risk-taking, betraying a desire not to prolong the rallies, with the consequence of losing the set, after two shutouts conceded, in 1h08.
The second round was much more one-sided. The Spaniard lacked juice, paying for his physical condition to be perfected and an obvious lack of rhythm, especially in phases of exchanges with changes of races, like the numerous drop shots on which he did not throw himself.
If he gave up, facing De Minaur, determined to win an always prestigious victory on earth, against the ogre of ocher, Nadal nevertheless betrayed no discomfort on the physical level. Weighed down by repeated pain, he had not played on the ATP circuit since a hip injury in Brisbane in early January.
However, for the Spaniard it was a question of not relapsing in view of the great challenge which awaits him in two months at Roland-Garros, where he dreams of nothing other than a 15th coronation. He still has two months to improve his physical condition. His biggest challenge obviously.
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