Nadal in Madrid threat over clay, Li departs
Source: Agencies |
May 12, 2012, Saturday
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RAFAEL Nadal lost to Spanish countryman Fernando Verdasco for the first time in the Madrid Open on Thursday, then threatened, along with top-ranked Novak Djokovic, not to return if the new blue clay-court wasn't discarded.
Nadal blew a 5-2 lead in the third set in losing 6-3, 3-6, 7-5, his first defeat to Verdasco in 14 matches. The third-round loss was Nadal's earliest exit in a clay-court tournament since he fell to Olivier Mutis in the second round in Palermo, Italy, in 2004.
Defending champion Djokovic and Roger Federer, meanwhile, eased into the quarterfinals with straight-set wins.
Nadal blamed his first loss on clay in almost a year on the blue clay, which players have said was slippery, and sent an ultimatum to organizers, threatening to strike the tournament from his calendar if the traditional red surface was not restored.
"Being able to move is very important for me and if I can't move well, I can't hit the ball well either," said Nadal, the second seed and two-time Madrid champion. "If things don't change, this will be one less tournament on the calendar for me. This surface destabilizes the game. It is a completely different game and I don't want to take risks."
Verdasco, who became only the seventh player to beat Nadal on clay in eight years, burst into tears on the court in front of his hometown fans upon sealing the upset with a forehand winner. "After losing so many times against honestly the best player on clay ever, to beat him on clay is the maximum," said an emotional Verdasco. "I don't have words. I am happy for the win, although it is difficult to hold myself together now. I need to calm down, rest and get ready for the next match."
Verdasco will play Tomas Berdych next after the Czech beat Gael Monfils 6-1, 6-1.
Nadal's uncle and coach Toni Nadal said that once they trained on the blue courts, he had advised him to pull out.
"If he had listened to me he wouldn't have played this year," he said, before criticizing Ion Tiriac, a Romanian former player turned promoter who has masterminded the innovation. Tiriac argues that the blue courts make it easier for television viewers to follow the yellow balls.
Early yesterday, Serena Williams brushed aside Maria Sharapova 6-1, 6-3 to advance to the semifinals along with top-ranked Victoria Azarenka. The Belarussian overcame a shaky start to beat French Open winner Li Na 3-6, 6-3, 6-3.
After Azarenka struggled on serve early on, last year's runner-up found her stride and broke her Chinese opponent's first two service games of the second set en route to pulling even at a set each.
Azarenka, who has won four titles this season, then used her powerful groundstrokes to jump out to an insurmountable 4-0 lead in the decider before holding off Li's late charge.
Nadal blew a 5-2 lead in the third set in losing 6-3, 3-6, 7-5, his first defeat to Verdasco in 14 matches. The third-round loss was Nadal's earliest exit in a clay-court tournament since he fell to Olivier Mutis in the second round in Palermo, Italy, in 2004.
Defending champion Djokovic and Roger Federer, meanwhile, eased into the quarterfinals with straight-set wins.
Nadal blamed his first loss on clay in almost a year on the blue clay, which players have said was slippery, and sent an ultimatum to organizers, threatening to strike the tournament from his calendar if the traditional red surface was not restored.
"Being able to move is very important for me and if I can't move well, I can't hit the ball well either," said Nadal, the second seed and two-time Madrid champion. "If things don't change, this will be one less tournament on the calendar for me. This surface destabilizes the game. It is a completely different game and I don't want to take risks."
Verdasco, who became only the seventh player to beat Nadal on clay in eight years, burst into tears on the court in front of his hometown fans upon sealing the upset with a forehand winner. "After losing so many times against honestly the best player on clay ever, to beat him on clay is the maximum," said an emotional Verdasco. "I don't have words. I am happy for the win, although it is difficult to hold myself together now. I need to calm down, rest and get ready for the next match."
Verdasco will play Tomas Berdych next after the Czech beat Gael Monfils 6-1, 6-1.
Nadal's uncle and coach Toni Nadal said that once they trained on the blue courts, he had advised him to pull out.
"If he had listened to me he wouldn't have played this year," he said, before criticizing Ion Tiriac, a Romanian former player turned promoter who has masterminded the innovation. Tiriac argues that the blue courts make it easier for television viewers to follow the yellow balls.
Early yesterday, Serena Williams brushed aside Maria Sharapova 6-1, 6-3 to advance to the semifinals along with top-ranked Victoria Azarenka. The Belarussian overcame a shaky start to beat French Open winner Li Na 3-6, 6-3, 6-3.
After Azarenka struggled on serve early on, last year's runner-up found her stride and broke her Chinese opponent's first two service games of the second set en route to pulling even at a set each.
Azarenka, who has won four titles this season, then used her powerful groundstrokes to jump out to an insurmountable 4-0 lead in the decider before holding off Li's late charge.
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