Rafa Nadal, eliminated in Brisbane: he had three match points and a great “no look” but fell to Thompson

Rafael Nadal failed to beat Jordan Thompson and was defeated 7-5, 6-7 (6) and 3-6 in the quarterfinals of the ATP 250 in Brisbane, Australia, a tournament that marked the return of the legend of tennis on the circuit after almost a year.

It was Rafa’s third match and first big battle after his victories against Dominic Thiem and Jason Kubler, both in straight sets. This time, against the 29-year-old Sydney native, ranked 43rd, the story was very different. The Spaniard won a difficult first set and had the chance to finish it in the second, but wasted three match points which ended up giving the locals confidence.

In the third chapter, Thompson managed to quickly break Nadal’s serve and with the strength of his serve (apart from some reactions from Rafa) he led the match until he won the victory with a last point that seemed infinite.

Rafa gave away some pearls, such as a “no look” stitch that portrayed all his talent and all his physical strength. He ran from the back of the court towards the net and beat his rival with a pass that crossed from side to side.

Like a true gentleman, Nadal left the stadium with a smile and waving to the crowd, who gave him a final ovation as they watched him leave with his bag and defeat in tow.

Naturally, we will need to closely monitor the physique of the 22-time Slam champion. At a certain point in the third set he had to seek medical attention and it was noticed that he had a muscle overload. Even though the match ended under normal conditions, it will be a relevant issue with a week left before the match starts. Australian Openthe first big event of the year.

Rafa arrived well physically

“In general I feel good. The most important thing is that I don’t have any discomfort due to the operations on the iliopsoas (muscle) and the hip,” Rafa said in a conference after the victory against Jason Kubler in the round of 16.

Nadal, 37, missed nearly all of the 2023 season because of the surgeries, two more episodes in his long injury history, which also includes a chronic left foot ailment.

“At the moment the foot responds well and this is the main news, that the foot doesn’t give me problems and I can move without limitations” on the track, he said.

“This makes me feel happy and, without a doubt, allows me to play better,” insisted the Majorcan, who was very satisfied with his tennis level.