Spanish king of clay Rafael Nadal has extended his stay at this year’s ATP Finals after outlasting Stefanos Tsitsipas 6-4, 4-6, 6-2, in a must win showdown on Thursday.
The world No.2 headed into the match knowing the loser of the encounter would also be eliminated from the round-robin competition. Nadal has also beaten Andrey Rublev but lost to Dominic Thiem earlier in the week. In his latest match against Tsitsipas, he remained largely dominant behind serve as he won 81% of his first serves throughout the 126-minute showdown. Furthermore, Nadal also produced eight aces and 32 winners to seal a spot in the semi-finals.
“I think I played quite well for such a long time,” Nadal said afterwards. “That game at 5-4 in the second affected me a little bit… I think I was winning my serves quite comfortably until that moment. After that, everything changed a little bit. I think I started to serve a little bit worse.’
“But in general terms have been a very positive match for me, to be in the semi-finals here at the last tournament of the year is an important thing.”
Seeking his first ever ATP Finals title at the age of 34, Nadal entered the match with a dominant record against his Greek opponent. Not only did he lead their head-to-head 5-1, the Spaniard had only been broken by Tsitsipas once in their three previous meetings on a hard court.
Continuing that trend in their clash at The O2 Arena, both players went toe-by-toe early on. Nadal had two opportunities to break in the seventh game but was unable to convert thanks to some spirited play from across the court. However, two games later he secured the breakthrough after a Tsitsipas double fault net gifted him the break for 5-4. Gaining in momentum Nadal went on to clinch the opener with ease after producing back-to-back aces, which registered at 123mph and 126 mph.
In a match of fine margins even the slightest of blips could prove critical which was the case during the second frame. Both players looked solid behind serve with Nadal dropping just five points overall. Unfortunately for the Spaniard he faltered at the worst possible moment. Trailing 4-5, he came under intense pressure from Tsitsipas. A smash at the net by the world No.6 elevated him to set point, which he converted after a Nadal double fault.
Turning into a mental and physical test for both players, they traded blows at the start of the decider before Nadal edged ahead 3-1 to restore his lead once again. Turning up the heat on a fading Tsitsipas, he extended his stronghold to 5-2 by clinching a double break after a wild forehand from his opponent. Tasked with serving the roller-coaster clash out, he prevailed on his second match point after hitting a clean backhand winner. Making it the 71st match in a row Nadal has won after winning the first set.
“It’s always difficult to play here (at the ATP Finals) against the best players in the world every single day at the end of the season. Most of the time when you get here you’re a little bit tired but this year is a little bit different,” the 20-time Grand Slam champion explained.
“I’m sad about the situation (of no fans attending). Normally after a good match the atmosphere should be fantastic as always but it is a different story (this year).’
“I’m exited to be in the semi-finals and I hope to be ready to play my best. “
Thursday’s win brings an end to Tsitsipas’ 2020 season. Overall, he has achieved a win-loss record of 29-14 with the only title he won being at the Open 13 in Marseille. Although he has reached the final of two ATP 500 events in Dubai and Hamburg, as well as the semi-finals of the French Open.
“I fought very hard during the second set and played with the right intentions which gave me a lot of opportunities. I am quite disappointed with the third (set). It didn’t go as planned. I was rushing and I don’t even know what I was trying to do,” a critical Tsitsipas said during his press conference.
Nadal is through to the semi-final stage for the first time since 2015 and sixth overall. This year marks his 10th appearance at the event. He will next take on Daniil Medvedev in what will be a repeat of the 2019 US Open final. Medvedev has already beaten Alexander Zverev and Novak Djokovic in straight sets this week. Nadal leads their overall head-to-head 3-0.
