ATP Finals: Nadal vs. Fritz - is there the next Instant Classic today?
Rafael Nadal meets Taylor Fritz today at 9 p.m. (live on TV and live stream on Sky). Nadal has already fought remarkable duels with the American this year.
by Jens Huiber
last edit:
Nov 13, 2022, 04:38 pm
The last singles match that Rafael Nadal has played in London so far? Correct: It was the quarter-finals in Wimbledon, which he barely survived with damaged abdominal muscles, but was unable to compete against Nick Kyrgios in the semi-finals. The unfortunate loser back then? TaylorFritz. Unfortunate in that the American missed what was a historic opportunity for him. Because Nadal completed the entire match without an effective serve, still the greatest weapon on grass. And Fritz was unable to capitalize on that weakness.
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Fritz had done better a few weeks earlier: in the Indian Wells final he triumphed against Nadal, who was also injured there, ending his winning streak in the then still young season. Before the classic in the California desert, Nadal had won the preparatory tournament in Melbourne, the Australian Open and the tournament in Acapulco. After that he had to take a break, later entered the clay court season - and still won the French Open.
Nadal in the easier group
However, Rafael Nadal is still missing a triumph at the end of the ATP season. This is primarily due to the fact that the unofficial world championships are usually held indoors and on surfaces that are a nuance too fast for the Spanish grandmaster. And too little sandy. Nadal starts the 2022 edition with a few question marks, his last appearance in Paris-Bercy was a mystery. He himself explained his departure against Tommy Paul with an illness.
Will 2022 be the year in which Rafael Nadal closes one of the few gaps in his tennis vita (the title in Miami would have been another - but he couldn't compete there)? Not very likely. But not impossible either. Because it will probably be easier in the green group to move into the semi-finals than in the red group. Novak Djokovic, Daniil Medvedev, Andrey Rublev and Stefanos Tsitsipas are gathered there. In addition to Fritz, Nadal "only" has to deal with Casper Ruud (no indoor expert) and Félix Auger-Aliassime (very well an indoor expert, but also a newcomer).
And the last few years have shown that bets are no longer accepted after the semifinals. Because then it only depends on the momentum that the players have.
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