Jordan Thompson of Australia staged a comeback against Rafael Nadal, who was making his return to the court, in a thrilling late-night quarter-final match at the Brisbane International on Friday. Thompson saved three match points before pulling off the win.
The Australian emerged victorious with a score of 5-7, 7-6 (8-6), 6-3 after a grueling three-hour and 25-minute match that ended right before midnight.
Thompson made a comeback in the second set and then dominated the third. He secured the win when Nadal hit a backhand too hard, ending the longest rally of the match.
Nadal, who took an injury timeout to treat soreness in the same hip that required career-saving surgery last year, walked to Thompson’s side of the net and embraced the Australian.
Thompson said that he looked up to him as one of his role models during his childhood.
“It was a meaningful experience to be on the court together once more, and defeating him gave me a completely different sensation.”
The 29-year-old Sydney native’s win marked the end of a successful week for Australia’s male athletes, following Alex de Minaur’s triumph over world number one Novak Djokovic in the United Cup on Wednesday.
“Amazing. Australian players performing well in their home country, defeating skilled opponents, is undoubtedly beneficial for the nation,” Thompson expressed.
Thompson’s upcoming challenge is to compete against the second-ranked player, Grigor Dimitrov, on Saturday night. The winner will advance to the final on Sunday, where they will face either the top-seeded Dane Holger Rune or the in-form Russian Roman Safiullin.
Nadal was in dominant form after recovering from a hip injury that kept him out for almost a year. He defeated previous US Open winner Dominic Thiem and Australian player Jason Kubler in consecutive sets.
However, in his second consecutive match, the 37-year-old Spaniard was defeated by Thompson’s precise return shots and skill in hitting short angles, particularly with his backhand.
Thompson is proud of his victory against former top-ranked player Murray, as well as his win against current No 3 player Stefanos Tsitsipas last year. However, he considers this recent win to be equally significant.
“Thompson acknowledged that the player in question is undoubtedly one of the greatest ever, but there is a constant feeling of pressure when performing in front of a hometown crowd,” Thompson stated.
”
There is a possibility that he can defeat his opponents, which can induce nervousness.
“You must bring it to him.”
It is pointless to enter the court with the mindset that you cannot win. I faced him at the French Open and that was exactly how it felt.
After undergoing hip surgery in June, Nadal experienced discomfort in his upper left leg during his match and left the court for treatment when he was down 4-1 in the third set. The match had already been going on for over three hours.
If it weren’t for two unexpected mistakes on match points in the previous set, he could have sealed it earlier.
In the 10th game, he successfully executed a backhand volley on Thompson’s serve, followed by a missed forehand at 6-4 in the tiebreak, which Thompson admitted was a shot Nadal would typically make “nine times out of ten”.
Thompson managed to avoid defeat on a third match point by executing a powerful forehand shot across the court. He then utilized his exceptional shot-making skills to come out victorious in two extended rallies, ultimately securing the second set after 83 minutes of play.
Thompson, currently ranked 55 globally, has the potential to climb back into the top 50 and potentially even break into the top 40 should he emerge victorious in the upcoming tournament.
Source: theguardian.com
