Rafael Nadal was two points away from levelling his quarter-final
against an inspired Diego Schwartzman when rain halted play at the
French Open on Wednesday June 06,2018
Schwartzman ended the out-of-sorts world number one’s sequence of 37 consecutive sets won in the clay-court major to raise hopes of pulling off an almighty upset on Court Philippe Chatrier.
The 10-time Roland Garros champion was a break down at 3-2 in the second when the weather halted Schwartzman’s momentum and Nadal returned from the interval with a spring in his step to take a 5-3 lead.
Nadal - who had his left wrist taped after losing his first set in his favourite tournament since 2015 - was 30-15 up and serving to make it a set apiece when the heavens opened again and no further play was possible.
A fearless Schwartzman took inspiration from David and Goliath as he fought back from two sets down to beat Kevin Anderson in the fourth round and slayed Nadal - who struggled on serve and returned poorly - in the first set.
The top seed saved four break points in the opening game but was a break down at 2-1 when the world number 12 thrashed away a forehand winner.
Nadal was back on serve immediately when the exuberant underdog put too much on a groundstroke, but Schwartzman regained the advantage with a simple volley to lead 4-3 after toying with the Spaniard.
Schwartzman failed to consolidate the break again, but was undeterred as a ferocious forehand winner put him 5-4 up, and another fizzed forehand winner ended Nadal’s long run of sets won in a row in Paris after a stoppage when a spectator collapsed.
Schwartzman ended the out-of-sorts world number one’s sequence of 37 consecutive sets won in the clay-court major to raise hopes of pulling off an almighty upset on Court Philippe Chatrier.
The 10-time Roland Garros champion was a break down at 3-2 in the second when the weather halted Schwartzman’s momentum and Nadal returned from the interval with a spring in his step to take a 5-3 lead.
Nadal - who had his left wrist taped after losing his first set in his favourite tournament since 2015 - was 30-15 up and serving to make it a set apiece when the heavens opened again and no further play was possible.
A fearless Schwartzman took inspiration from David and Goliath as he fought back from two sets down to beat Kevin Anderson in the fourth round and slayed Nadal - who struggled on serve and returned poorly - in the first set.
The top seed saved four break points in the opening game but was a break down at 2-1 when the world number 12 thrashed away a forehand winner.
Nadal was back on serve immediately when the exuberant underdog put too much on a groundstroke, but Schwartzman regained the advantage with a simple volley to lead 4-3 after toying with the Spaniard.
Schwartzman failed to consolidate the break again, but was undeterred as a ferocious forehand winner put him 5-4 up, and another fizzed forehand winner ended Nadal’s long run of sets won in a row in Paris after a stoppage when a spectator collapsed.
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