US Open 2022: Rafael Nadal NOSE simply high quality, improves to 18-0 in opposition to Richard Gasquet, WATCH | Tennis Information
Rafael Nadal’s nostril was simply high quality. So was his tennis. No stitches or perhaps a bandage, 48 hours after he drew blood by by accident smacking himself along with his racket — and never a hint of bother, as standard, in opposition to Richard Gasquet. Nadal improved to 18-0 in opposition to Gasquet throughout their careers and ran his head-to-head set streak to 34 in a row by successful their third-round matchup on the U.S. Open 6-0, 6-1, 7-5 on Saturday night time.
After No. 2 seed Nadal grabbed the preliminary 9 video games, Gasquet lastly claimed one 70 minutes in. When a 97 mph serve drew a netted return from the 22-time Grand Slam champion, Gasquet raised each arms because the Arthur Ashe Stadium crowd feted him with a standing ovation.
Issues reverted to type from there between the 2 36-year-olds for the rest of that set, with Nadal’s groundstroke energy and placement an excessive amount of for Gasquet, who was once a top-10 participant however is now ranked 91st.
Solely within the third set did Gasquet make issues extra aggressive, attending to 5-all, earlier than Nadal take the final two video games to enhance to 22-0 in Grand Slam matches in 2022. Subsequent for Nadal comes a matchup on Monday in opposition to No. 22 Frances Tiafoe, an American who reached the fourth spherical at Flushing Meadows for the third 12 months in a row. Nadal is 2-0 in opposition to Tiafoe.
Vamos, @RafaelNadal pic.twitter.com/6XIMbmzzGV
— US Open Tennis (@usopen) September 4, 2022
“Now I consider I can beat him. … I’m undoubtedly going to return after him,” stated the 24-year-old Tiafoe, who’s from Maryland.
The important thing? “Match his depth from the primary level to the final,” Tiafoe stated after getting previous No. 14 Diego Schwartzman 7-6 (7), 6-4, 6-4. “You may’t actually have any dips. He takes benefit of it.”
Nadal gained the Australian Open in January and the French Open in June, then acquired to the semifinals at Wimbledon earlier than pulling out of the grass-court match due to a torn stomach muscle. Earlier than coming to New York in pursuit of a fifth championship at Flushing Meadows, Nadal tweaked his service movement to ease the pressure on his midsection, reducing his toss in order to not attain as far on the swing. The adjustment has not damage his effectiveness.
And neither did the weird mishap in a second-round victory over Fabio Fognini on Thursday, when Nadal’s racket bounced off the courtroom and up into the bridge of his nostril on a backhand follow-through. He was left bloodied and dizzy and anxious he’d damaged his nostril.
“A bit bit greater than standard, but it surely’s OK,” he stated with a smile after eliminating Gasquet. “The nostril continues to be there.”
(with PTI inputs)
