Safe after a fall without consequences,

Rafael Nadal

won the simplest match of this edition of the Rome tournament, settled accounts with

Alexander Zverev

, the man who had surpassed him for the third time in a row in the quarterfinals of the Mutua Madrid Open, and will play this Saturday against

Reilly Opelka

, 47th, whom he has never faced, his twelfth semifinal at the Foro Italico, the first since 2019, the year in which he won his ninth title. The Spanish, second seeded, won 6-3 and 6-4, in one hour and 59 minutes.

Unlike a week ago, in Madrid, this time the script was written by Nadal, benefiting from conditions that allow him to apply all the springs of the game on clay.

This is how he soon escaped from Zverev's brand, something he also did in the Magic Box, but in Rome, as we write, keeping the thread of the story, what if a hollow ball, another inflamed, what if now I am looking for a winner or I wait for you to stumble.

It was much more difficult for the German to find final blows, he suffered when he was not able to serve with first and get on the ball with his backhand.

Nadal deployed his best resources, with the singularity of the backhand cut and the left, whipping of the gigantic opponent.

Better predisposition

Both survivors, to a different extent, because the left-hander had to face two match points against

Shapovalov

, of intense, long confrontations, in which they had to row against the current, it was Nadal, despite his 35 years, 11 more than his rival , who showed the best initial predisposition. Soon he was two

breaks

up, intact, while Zverev appeared crumpled, like a freshman from a swim across the Indian Ocean.

The German reacted late, who nevertheless had a ticket back to the set, one of the breaks already recovered. He lost it with a setback to the network. Nadal walked in that section still scared, perhaps, of the fall suffered two points before, when he sprained his left ankle while chasing a drop from Zverev. Everything came to nothing. He didn't even need attention. He went for a moment to the saddle, came back, still muddy, and gathered the crop sown previously.

Champion in Rome in 2017 and a finalist a year later, against Nadal, Zverev, the sixth seed, was also denied another chance to join the game, with 2-1 and 0-40 on his side, in the second set, but the Spaniard was not willing to spend more time on the court than was necessary and came out of the trance, as he did two games later, already with a favorable break.

One of 10 was the disheartening final balance of his opponent in conversion of

break

balls

.

Zverev rushed his luck to the last point, without losing his composure, but will have to wait for a better opportunity to reply to Nadal.

Nadal, after a spectacular fall during his match against Zverev.AFPAFP

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Know more

  • Rafael Nadal

TennisNadal beats Shapovalov after saving two match balls and qualifies for the quarterfinals

TennisNadal saves a delicate debut against Sinner and will seek the quarterfinals against Shapovalov

TennisZverev is gigantic and knocks down an erratic Nadal in the quarterfinals

See links of interest

  • 2021 business calendar

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  • Real Valladolid - Villarreal

  • Eibar - Real Betis

  • Granada - Real Madrid, live

  • Alexander Zverev - Rafa Nadal

  • Live: Seventh stage of the Giro