MADRID, 18 Ago. (EUROPA PRESS) –
The Spanish tennis player Rafa Nadal has fallen on his return to the courts at the Cincinnati tournament, the seventh Masters 1,000 of the season, against the Croatian Borna Coric (7-6(9), 4-6, 6-3), who He will meet in the next round with fellow Spaniard Roberto Bautista.
The Spaniard, recovered from an abdominal injury that forced him to withdraw before the Wimbledon semifinals a month and a half ago, succumbed in two hours and 51 minutes of play against a rival who signed his fifth ATP victory since returning to the circuit from an operation shoulder in the month of March.
The 40-0 with his serve with which the 22-time winner of the ‘Grand Slam’ started presaged a placid match at the Lindner Family Tennis Center, but Coric knew how to maintain the intensity and the service. With the Croatian leading 4-5 and 0-15, the rain stopped the fight for an hour and a half and after the restart everything had to be decided in the ‘tiebreak’.
The Balkan started 4-2 in the first change of lane; Nadal seemed to react, but he missed a volley that put the tiebreaker back on the table for his opponent, who finally managed to prevail after almost 20 minutes.
Even so, the one from Manacor -who faced the contest with options to finish as number one in the world- offered battle in the second set, where he was able to sign his first break of the duel in the seventh game, which would be decisive to equalize the contest .
However, Coric struck again in the final set, in which, with a single ‘break’ in the sixth game, the passage to the next round was guaranteed.
Now, he will face Roberto Bautista from Castellón, who beat American Marcos Giron in straight sets (6-3, 6-3) in one hour and 18 minutes of play.
“It’s going to be a very interesting game. I need to be aggressive, especially after playing such a long game today and finishing so late. I probably have to be even more aggressive tomorrow,” said Coric, who has a favorable record of 5-4. in matches with the Spanish.
