By Richard Pagliaro | @Tennis_Now | Tuesday, April 16, 2024
Playing his first match in 103 days, Rafael Nadal beat No. 62 Flavio Cobolli 6-2, 6-3, in his Barcelona comeback to raise his career clay-court record to 475-45.
Photo credit: Pedro Salado/Getty
Legacy stuck to Rafael Nadal like a shadow as he stepped in the sunshine toward the court.
On the red clay court bearing his name, Nadal stamped a successful comeback in Barcelona today.
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Playing his first match in 103 days, king of clay Nadal defeated world No. 62 Flavio Cobolli 6-2, 6-3, in his Barcelona comeback to raise his career clay-court record to 475-45.
Striking with force from both wings, Nadal broke serve four times, shook off the rust as the match progressed and exploited 41 unforced errors from the Italian, who looked tighter than Nadal playing before a packed and festive Barcelona crowd.
"I've tried a lot of times in my career to [comeback]," Nadal said in his on-court interview. "Every time is more difficult, especially when you are in an advanced age. It makes things even tougher."
Adversity often elicits the toughest response from the 22-time Grand Slam champion. Nadal says his passion for play remains strong.
"I am going through tough moments," Nadal said. "But at the same time when I am able to be on the tour for more than a few days, and practice with the guys and to compete a little bit means a lot to me. Still, enough enjoyable to keep doing it."
It was Nadal’s first ATP match since the Brisbane quarterfinals on January 5th.
On that day, home hero Jordan Thompson showed guts and strong legs saving three match points in the second set sparking a 5-7, 7-6(6), 6-3 comeback conquest of Nadal to reach his first hard-court semifinal at the Brisbane International.
The 37-year-old Spanish superstar put himself in position close, including taking a 6-4 lead in the tiebreaker and missing a good look at his favored forehand on his second match point in that match. Shortly afterward, Nadal withdrew from the Australian Open due to a microtear in the muscle surrounding his hip, which was surgically repaired on his birthday last June.
Nadal carried a 66-4 career record reaching the semifinals in 13 of 16 Barcelona appearances as he walked onto Pista Rafa Nadal—the stadium court that bears his name today.
Clad in lavender Nike t-shirt and matching shorts with a pink headband and pink sweatbands, Nadal won the coin toss and elected to serve.
When chair umpire Mohamed Lahyani announced Nadal to serve, Barcelona fans cheered at the commencing comeback.
Playing just his fourth match in the last 15 months, a nervy Nadal double faulted on the second point, but held at 30 to start.
The 12-time Barcelona wasn’t stinging his serve at the outset, but was driving his groundstrokes with confidence. Cobolli saved two break point, but on the third break point, Nadal dipped a short drop volley drawing an errant backhand pass to break for 3-1.
Nadal backed up the break at 15 for a 4-1 lead after just 25 minutes as a jittery Cobolli couldn’t always keep the ball in the court.
In the sixth game, Nadal continued applying pressure earning four break point that would have put him ahead by a double break.
A stubborn Cobolli hit the wide serve sharply saving all four break points in holding for 2-4.
Moving more comfortably, Nadal stamped the first love hold of the final, extending to 5-2.
Pushing the Italian into the corners, Nadal forced a netted error to end the 43-minute opening set with his second break.
Trying to weed out the errors from his game, Cobolli used the jumping backhand, reminiscent of the young Marcelo Rios, to earn his first break point in the opening game of set two.
A clever forehand drop shot winner from Nadal saved it as he held to start the second set.
Two points into the second game, Nadal turned back time for a vintage Rafa strike.
Sliding to his left on a ball behind him, Nadal flicked a spinning forehand winner down the line for love-30.
Hurling his body into a crosscourt forehand, Nadal earned two break points. When the over-ambitious Italian scattered a forehand long, the Spanish superstar snatched his third break for a one-set, 2-0 lead.
Serving to consolidate, Nadal knocked his second double fault of the day to face double break point in the third game.
The former No. 1 narrowly missed a backhand down the line, ceding back the break to Cobolli.
Resetting, Nadal returned to ripping crosscourt drives.
A Cobolli forehand clipped the tape and fell wide for two break points. When Cobolli clanked his third double fault, Nadal had the break back and a 3-1 lead.
Slashing a stretched forehand down the line brought Nadal to triple match points.
“Vamos Rafa!” fans yelled in anticipation.
The 14-time Roland Garros missed a massive forehand down the line on his first match point.
On his second match point, Nadal closed in 85 minutes with a clenched fist when Cobolli netted a backhand.
Arriving in Barcelona ranked No. 644 with questions about his surgically-repaired hip and serving challenges swirling, Nadal should familiar fighting spirit and resilience.
Now, the challenge is ratcheted even higher when King of Clay confronts Demon: Nadal vs. Aussie Alex de Minaur.
The 11th-ranked de Minaur, who toppled world No. 1 Novak Djokovic at United Cup a year after he beat Nadal at United Cup, is coming off a a Monte-Carlo quarterfinal run.
Nadal knows de Minaur won't leak 41 errors as Cobolli did today, so it should be fun to see an engaged Nadal play his fifth match of the season against an in-form de Minaur.