French Open 2022: Rafael Nadal has to stretch against Felix Auger-Aliassime - dream quarter-finals perfect!
Rafael Nadal had to fight Felix Auger-Aliassime in the round of 16 of the French Open for a long time, but finally won in five sets ( Here you can read the match in re-live! ). In the round of eight it is now against Novak Djokovic.
by Michael Rothschädl
last edit: May 29, 2022, 08:39 pm
The first big question this Sunday afternoon at the French Open was clarified before the start of the meeting between Felix Auger-Aliassime and Rafael Nadal: As announced by the Canadian, Toni Nadal - the youngster's trainer and the Spaniard's uncle in personal union - took on neutral ground at the Court Philippe-Chatrier square. And saw a Felix Auger-Aliassime there, who started like the fire brigade.
So it was the Canadian who went on to secure the first break of the game. With good serves and the powerful forehand, "FAA" opponent Nadal was busy for long stretches of the first round and had things under control in the early stages. The logical consequence: The youngster also managed the second break of the game, quickly pulling away to 5:1.
Nadal counters
Although Rafael Nadal was able to limit the damage again in the first round, this should ultimately change little at the end of the sentence: Auger-Aliassime surprisingly secured the first round 6: 3. And the 13-time Paris winner? He took this setback calmly, did his job extremely conscientiously in the second set and finally got it with the same result that Felix Auger-Aliassime had won the second set with.
The turning point in this game was to be a hard-fought service game by the Canadian towards the end of the second set, in which Nadal was finally able to secure the decisive break. And a little later closed the sentence safely on his own serve. At the latest, the 21-time major winner had seized this match, and set three also began a little later with a break for the Spaniard.
Nadal has to be in set five
The third round turned into a real nightmare for Felix Auger-Aliassime, who was now confronted with a significant increase in Nadal's performance. He got another break a little later and quickly made it 6: 2 to 2: 1 sets. What was noticeable: The Canadian no longer played fast service games at all, Nadal ensured constant pressure on the other side of the net.
Felix Auger-Aliassime didn't want to give up that quickly that afternoon: The Canadian secured the break in Nadal's first service game in set four, but immediately had to accept the rebreak to make it 1: 2. The 21-year-old didn't let that bother him and got another break, which he was able to transport to a 6.3 set win. With an extremely nerve-racking service game, the youngster sent this match into a deciding set.
Nadal now against Djokovic
A rarity, as this is only the third match in which Rafael Nadal has to go into a fifth set at the French Open. At his 112th appearance, mind you. At the start of the deciding set, both athletes showed themselves to be extremely stable on their own serve, although the Spaniard seemed a little closer to the break. Playing time now: beyond the four-hour mark.
That afternoon, however, Rafael Nadal needed exactly the same service game as when the score was 4: 3, when the Mallorcan came up with two breakballs with sometimes unbelievable hits to take Felix Auger-Aliassime's serve. First, the Canadian was able to thwart with an ace, then Nadal did a great stop ball.
The decision in this match, after just over four hours and 15 minutes, the 21-time Grand Slam winner fixed the 3: 6, 6: 3, 6: 2, 3: 6 and 6: 3 success with his own serve. One thing is certain: on Tuesday there will be a dream quarter-final between Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic - which didn't give Diego Schwartzman the slightest chance on Sunday.
You can read the match in re-live here!
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