The Spaniard, inactive for the last five weeks, falls in three sets against Tommy Paul
Carreño, next rival of the American
MADRID, 3 Nov. (EUROPA PRESS) –
The Spanish tennis player Rafa Nadal said goodbye to the first change of the Paris-Bercy tournament, the last Masters 1,000 of the season, when he fell (3-6, 7-6(4), 6-1) this Wednesday against the American Tommy Paul, who will now be seen in the round of 16 with fellow Spaniard Pablo Carreño.
The Parisian appointment continues to be elusive to the Balearic Islands. Nadal, who was returning to action after being a father for the first time, had a demanding rival whom he managed to tame in the opening set. However, confidence grew in the American while he was dwindling in a Nadal disgruntled for not taking his game and apparently tired, perhaps paying five weeks inactivity.
The champion of 22 ‘big’, who added several epic pages to his history this 2022, did not have one more to write in a tournament that he has never won, an ‘indoor’ hard court that does not allow failure. The first set did pass him by, a ‘break’ against which he recovered with authority until he fastened the act with a second break.
Paul, perfect in the net, did not even flinch with another ‘break’ against, while Nadal lost face in the match by wasting that lead (2-2). The Balearic’s serve began to weaken and, in sudden death, Nadal’s errors accumulated. Thus, the number two in the world gave up his sleeve to a grown-up Paul.
The American, who lost this year to the Spaniard in Acapulco, saw his options hit when Nadal continued with errors in the third set. The American confirmed the ‘break’ early and Nadal, crestfallen in his chair, gave up one game after another until saying goodbye to Paris-Berzy, his penultimate appointment of the year before Turin.
The Spaniard is qualified to play the ATP Finals, although his face of concern, like the one seen several times this year due to the injuries he has been suffering -rib, foot, abdomen-, leaves some unknowns about what happened. Paul, who got rid of Roberto Bautista before, will go for the triplet of Spanish victims.
Carreño had a second encounter in the Parisian match against Canadian Denis Shapovalov (7-6(2), 2-6, 6-4). The match began with an exchange of ‘beaks’, a battle that would last throughout the match. The sudden death gave the Asturian the advantage, but the American, a finalist a few days ago in Vienna, did not lower the level in a great reaction.
The second set left a better version of Shapovalov on serve, but when he reached the third and final set, the Canadian lost his serve in the first game. Carreño, without fissures, led the lead until victory after two and a quarter hours of dueling.
