London (AFP)

World No.1 Rafael Nadal, defeated at the Masters by Alexander Zverev, was totally relaunched by defeating Russia's Daniil Medvedev (N.4) 6-7 (3/7), 6-3, 7-6 (7/4), after a twisting match on Wednesday in London.

With this miraculous victory from the Spaniard who had to save a match point, he saved all his chances of qualifying for the semifinals of the Masters, and to maintain his place of world No.1 at the end of year.

In this highly contested match, which lasted two hours and 46 minutes with two decisive games, Medvedev had the situation well in hand when he led in the final set 5 games to 1 and obtained a match point.

But the world No.1 saved her thanks to a setback of losses. And the game has totally changed.

- Medvedev loses the thread -

Medvedev then completely liquefied, offering by multiplying the direct faults the games to a Nadal. As a victim, he became a conqueror again.

Completely out of his match, livid, the Russian came back only when he was led 5-6 and 0-30: he pulled out of his sleeve at this time aces and winning services, to pick up at 6-6 .

The outcome of this crazy game will be played in the decisive game, where Nadal will get two match points at 6 points to 4.

The first will be the good, on a ball out of a nothing in reverse by Medvedev. So much that it will take the electronic eye to judge, the line judge has not detected the fault.

Ultimate episode of a game that Medvedev has long seemed to master, including winning a first round of a very high level punctuated by four games in a row on his service and 7 aces, before losing the thread.

"It's one of those days where you have a 1 in 1,000 chance of winning, and it's happened today," Nadal said after he left the court.

The 23-year-old Russian, a great revelation of a 2019 year that saw him pass from 16th to 4th worldwide, will have to wait again to beat King Nadal.

In three confrontations, all this year, the "bull of Manacor" has each time imposed: very easily in the final of the Masters 1000 of Canada in August, much more difficult in the final of the US Open in September, miraculously at the Masters . The vise tightens around Nadal ...

© 2019 AFP