Nadal opens the year with a defeat against De Minaur

Rafa Nadal

starts the new year like the old one ended.

The man from Manacor, who said goodbye to 2022 with a defeat against the British

(6-4, 6-4), began 2023 losing to a highly inspired

(3-6, 6-1 and 7-5) in this new tournament mixed by country

The Spaniard scored the first set but could not contain the rise of the Australian, who scored the last ten points to fasten the victory in 2:42 of the game.

That there was nothing at stake was a saying, because the premature elimination of Spain means that Nadal does not have any other game planned until the Australian Open begins on the 16th. Whether or not he fills that two-week hole that has been left in On his calendar, the duel against De Miñaur was the last important test before beginning the defense of the first major of the season.

Apart, of course, from defending that number two in the world that

threaten .

If Nadal does not add any last-minute stops, he will arrive at the Australian Open with the upset feelings left by this defeat against a great De Minaur.

In the almost three hours of the game there was time to see the best of the Spaniard, such as the reaction to the Australian's first break, and the most unusual thing, something close to the disconnection that he ended up paying for with the third set.

The man from Manacor responded strongly to the good start by De Miñaur, who in the fifth game of the first set scored the first break thanks to a double fault and a bad forehand from Nadal.

What followed were the best minutes for the Spaniard, who scored the next five games to clinch the first set and get off to a good start in the second.

Along the way, three breaks.

One of them, raising a 40-0.

Reaction

De Minaur had reasons to see everything black, but he reacted with impetus.

It took him three break points to break Nadal back, but in the process he broke more than just the serve.

He suddenly began to loosen up, to hit more sharply, not to give up any ball, to dominate from the bottom.

Nadal didn't know how to outplay him, and though he made him sweat for every game (unusually long for a 6-1), he took the set easily.

"He is very inspired, but you're fine, go!"

Nadal at the break between sets.

That there was nothing at stake was a saying and it was confirmed by his reaction after returning a break midway through the third sleeve.

The Spaniard clenched his fist and shouted after scoring a superb exchange.

Faced with the difficulties to overcome him in the background, he bet on the variety of blows and took his inverted right for a walk.

The game did not look bad with 30-30 and Nadal remaining to win it.

But then what had been cooking under the surface came to the fore.

De Miñaur, unleashed, passed over the Spaniard with a superb outcome, connecting blows that even drew some furtive applause from the Spanish bench.

And Nadal, bewildered, gave up a game to the blank service in the worst way.

The Spaniard remained in the seat with a lost look, waiting to subtract a rival who had become unapproachable for the last game.

After almost three hours of the game, De Miñaur took victory.

And the year of the Mallorcan begins as the previous one ended.

According to the criteria of The Trust Project

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