Nadal conqueror Diego Schwartzman: "Tennis is crazy"
Diego Schwartzman won the ATP tournament in Rome against Rafael Nadal for the first time - and for the first time against a top 5 player. He hadn't expected that.
by Florian Goosmann
last edit: Sep 20, 2020, 07:55 am
"Tennis is crazy. The past three weeks have been really bad for me. Yesterday I thought I was going to Hamburg to get some rhythm in the first round. I didn't play well, and today I'll play the best Tennis of a lifetime, "said the Argentine after his 6-2, 7-5 surprise win over Nadal. To whom he had previously lost all nine games.
For Schwartzman, the victory over Nadal was also the first over an opponent from the top 5 in the world, after 22 defeats before. He will now face Denis Shapovalov in the semifinals (from 7 p.m.), Novak Djokovic and Casper Ruud will play the first semifinals (from 2 p.m.).
Schwartzman countered - in addition to his brilliant performance - also a not playing in top form Nadal and the weather conditions in Rome. Because they took Nadal's otherwise dangerous spin the spin, Schwartzman was able to strike again and again at hip height. Nadal's "serve + 1" combination also rarely worked, and Schwartzman often took the initiative with the return.
Nadal would have needed "a miracle"
"He played a great match, unfortunately I didn't. And if it goes that way, you lose," explained Nadal afterwards, who also referred to the long time without a competition. The end was especially bitter for Nadal: he was a break three times in the second round, to 3: 4, to 4: 5 and to 5: 6. "I struggled a lot in the second set, but if you lose your serve three times in a row, you need a miracle. I succeeded twice, the third time, despite 3:30 pm, it was no longer possible."
Schwartzman himself had not believed in a win against Nadal yesterday of all times, due to his mixed performances so far in Kitzbühel and Rome. And the nine defeats against Nadal before. "Four or five times it was close enough that I was allowed to think: If I play my best tennis, I have chances. And he came to this tournament for seven or eight months without any match practice," said the 28-year-old into his mind. "And the conditions were good for me in the evening, the ball doesn't bounce that high, it was slow on the court. So I thought I had chances - but I have to try to use them." What he succeeded in doing.
Is it all pure bliss at Schwartzman? Almost everything, because one thing could have gone even better in the win against "Rafa". "I would have wished for a spectator today when I defeated him for the first time", Schwartzman concluded with a smile.