Nadal

2022 - 3 - 20

Post cover — Image courtesy of "ABC News"

Rafael Nadal's winning streak ended by Taylor Fritz in Indian Wells ... (ABC News)

World number 20 Taylor Fritz beats Rafael Nadal for just the second title of his career, ending the Spanish legend's 21-match winning streak to start the ...

While Fritz struggled with his ankle, Nadal was dealing with a chest issue he picked up during his semi-final, and the 35-year-old Spaniard was clearly out of sorts to start the match, with Fritz breaking him twice on the way to a 4-0 lead. - Taylor Fritz won just the second title of his career and his first Masters 1,000 title American Taylor Fritz has handed Rafael Nadal his first loss of the year, winning the final of the Indian Wells tournament in California.

Fritz masters Nadal in Indian Wells upset (Cessnock Advertiser)

Taylor Fritz has upset Rafael Nadal to win the Indian Wells Masters and snap the 21-time major champion's 20-match winning streak to start this year. Fritz won 6-3 7-6 (7-5) in two hours and five minutes to become the first American since Andre Agassi ...

Nadal suffers breathing problems as winning streak comes to an end (The Sydney Morning Herald)

Taylor Fritz upset Rafael Nadel to win at Indian Wells and snap the Australian Open champion's comeback run. Earlier, Poland's Iga Swiatek moved up to ...

Fritz dropped his racket and collapsed on his back after clinching the title on his second match point. The title is the fifth of 2020 French Open champion Swiatek’s career. “Right now, it’s too surreal to describe it, honestly,” Swiatek said. It’s really tough to get a compliment out of him.” Nadal held to force the tiebreaker. Nadal moves up to No. 3. Nadal sent two straight forehands well wide to set up Fritz’s second match point. “Of course, the last two months have been amazing, unforgettable, very emotional,” Nadal said. The prospect of having to withdraw against Rafael Nadal nearly had him in tears. The first one came after he lost the first set. It’s a kind of pain that limit me a lot,” said Nadal, who turns 36 in June. Fritz stubbornly refused to bow out.

Rafael Nadal Praises Fritz, Admits Pain: 'I Tried 'Til The End' | ATP ... (ATP Tour)

Rafael Nadal falls to 1-1 in his ATP Head2Head series with Taylor Fritz. © Peter Staples/ATP Tour. ATP Staff Mar 21, 2022. Spaniard reflects on Indian Wells ...

“But in sport it’s not about talking of the past. “Of course, the past two months have have been amazing, unforgettable, very emotional. I hope to be ready for it.” Even if it's obvious that I was not able to do the normal things today... With this victory, it's a great start of the season for him. Honestly I am sad because the way I was not able to compete. But in the final it’s very, very ugly,” Nadal said. I lost against a great player.” “Even [though] I had my chances in the second set, I didn't convert too many chances. It's more about that I am suffering a little bit, honestly.” I think it's a difficult match to analyse personally from my side because I was not able to do many things.” Rafael Nadal made it very clear that his loss in the BNP Paribas Open final was a credit to Taylor Fritz’s performance above all else.

Taylor Fritz goes from hope to a dream in beating Rafael Nadal in ... (ESPN Australia)

Taylor Fritz became the first American, male or female, to win the title in Indian Wells since Andre Agassi in 2001 and ended Rafa Nadal's 20-match win ...

"I don't want to get ahead of myself," Fritz said. After winning the final point and handing Nadal his first loss of 2022, Fritz fell to the ground in a mixture of celebration and disbelief. I think it's getting easier for me to just focus on playing and not think about the stats. She is the youngest player to win a handful of trophies since Caroline Wozniacki in 2009. Fritz played immediately after 20-year-old Iga Swiatek had defeated Maria Sakkari 6-4, 6-1 for the women's title, their combined victories proving a new generation of tennis players had in fact very much arrived to the top of the sport and is capable of beating anyone on any given day. Fritz will rise to a career-high ranking of No. 13 on Monday and overtake Reilly Opelka as the top-ranked male player from the United States. But Swiatek has emerged, most notably alongside three-time major champion and world No. 1 Ashleigh Barty, as one of the few players who can win week after week and on more than one surface. To do it here in Indian Wells, as well, the combination of all these crazy things that I never thought possible." Long considered one of the best hopes among the American men to contend for big titles, Fritz had won just once on the ATP Tour prior to Sunday at a 250-level tournament in Eastbourne in 2019. "Winning this tournament is one of those crazy childhood dreams that you really think is never going to happen," he said as the crowd roared and the tears began to fall down his face. Fritz jumped out to a commanding 4-0 lead and didn't lose a single point on serve in those opening games. And when Fritz had to abruptly end his practice on Sunday morning, wincing in pain, due to an ankle injury, many wondered if he would be able to play at all.

'No f***ing way': US star's shock injury bombshell after $1.6m Nadal ... (Fox Sports)

'No f***ing way': US star's shock injury bombshell after $1.6m Nadal upset.

But the American broke back immediately and saved four break points in the next game and they went with serve to the tiebreaker. But it was the world number four who gained the upper hand in the second set with a break for 2-1, Fritz giving him a first chance with an ill-timed double fault, coming up with a big serve then falling to a forehand winner from Nadal. Nadal, who had had a quick adjustment from the trainer on court against Alcaraz to address discomfort around the left side of his chest, took a medical timeout and left the court indicating the same area to the trainer. But he was unable to make any inroads on Fritz’s serve until the American served for the set at 5-2 and Nadal converted his only break chance of the set when Fritz sent a forehand long. Battling to the end, he saved one match point in the 10th game of the second set, but in a tense tiebreaker that decided it all Fritz proved too much. Fritz was instructed by his coaches earlier on Monday not to play the match due to the severity of his injury.