Nadal summons spirit of his Real heroes in comeback win over David Goffin
Victory was finally wrapped up in three hours and 10 minutes when Goffin went wide on the Spaniard’s second match point of the tie-break
Real Madrid supporter Rafael Nadal summoned up the spirit of his Real Madrid heroes to stage an incredible comeback victory over David Goffin at the Madrid Open.
Less than 24 hours after Real had beaten Manchester City in the semi-finals of the Champions League from a seemingly impossible position, Nadal mounted his own extraordinary recovery to beat Goffin 6-3 5-7 7-6 (9).
Nadal, playing his first tournament in six weeks after suffering a stress fracture of a rib at Indian Wells in March, saved four match points before conquering Goffin on the fourth of his own.
The 35-year-old will play Carlos Alcaraz in the quarter-final, his fellow Spaniard progressing with a 6-4 6-7 (4) 6-3 victory over Great Britain’s Cameron Norrie.
“It was an unforgettable night,” said Nadal – who had been in the stands at the Bernabeu to see Real beat City 3-1 and set up a final date with Liverpool – in his post-match press conference.
“The spirit that the Real Madrid team has is just incredible.
“For me today, in some ways it has been an inspiration in the way I have been fighting all my tennis career. “I know how hard it is to lose this way so I feel sorry for them (City). But somehow for us, the supporters of Real Madrid, it was an incredible night.”
Nadal had looked on course for a comfortable victory before Goffin, who saved two match points in the second set, won four straight games from 3-5 down.
He saved two of Goffin’s four match points with drop shots, and a third when the Belgian netted a short forehand from an attacking position.
Victory was finally wrapped up in three hours and 10 minutes when Goffin went wide on the Spaniard’s second match point of the tie-break, Nadal advancing to a record-extending 99th ATP Masters 1000 quarter-final.
He said: “I didn’t have a lot of preparation, and we have to see how I’m able to wake up tomorrow after practically two months without any preparation.
“I have to accept that things may not be easy. But I am happy with the victory.
“It gives me an opportunity to play another day. I have a chronic injury which has no treatment.
“That’s part of my life, and that’s the downside of not being able to finish the match earlier. In the short term, I think I am fine, physically speaking.”
Andy Murray had earlier pulled out of his third-round clash with Novak Djokovic because of illness.
