Rafael Nadal Explains His Barcelona Open Defeat

Written by: Staff on 24th April 2015

Rafael Nadal Explains His Barcelona Open Defeat |

Rafael Nadal began the month admitting to a crisis of confidence in Miami and he is set to end April worrying even more about his game after another morale bashing defeat at the Barcelona Open. As a result he vowed to embark on a period of intensive hard work in a bid to recapture his touch before the French Open that on Sunday is just four weeks distant.

The player long renowned as the King of Clay was beaten 6-4,7-6 by Italy’s Fabio Fognini in the third round at the historic Real Club where Nadal was crowned champion eight times in the preceding nine years.

And after suffering his earliest Barcelona exit since he was 16 years old and lost to Alex Corretja in the third round, Nadal said: “My game was mundane. I didn’t have enough power, speed and control in my forehand. I didn’t manage to push Fognini back.”

Although Nadal lost in last Saturday’s Monte Carlo Rolex Open semi-final to world no.1 and eventual champion Novak Djokovic, he believed his performance showed he was again competitive. Yet after another set-back, he lamented: “This is a blow for me, but I accept the challenge and the negative day I had today. There is no other way forward other than to accept it or die.

“That’s why I will accept the upcoming challenges. I will work hard until I get back to my best. But it will be a while. It’s a very sad day for me. This tournament means a lot to me, I feel at home.”

Nadal’s next competitive outing will be in the Mutua Madrid Open that begins in just over a week’s time and thereafter he is scheduled to head to Rome for the Internazionale BNL d’Italia. Before those two Masters 1000 series events, he will return home to Majorca and attempt to regroup under the tutelage of his coach and uncle, Toni Nadal.

“I will keep working,” he stressed. “I am convinced that this situation of ups and downs I have had since returning from injuries, sooner or later, will come to an end.”

It was Nadal’s second defeat to 30th ranked Fognini on clay this year after being beaten by the Italian in Rio de Janeiro in February. He has just one title to his name on the ATP World Tour since winning his ninth French Open last June.

Most certainly Nadal is aware of what specifics he must concentrate upon. “When you’re playing with really small margins, you can lose,” he said. “That’s what happened. A few balls decided the match. I needed to make a difference earlier, not waiting till the end of the match to hit my forehand.

“I didn’t have enough power or speed on my forehand. I didn’t have control of the points with my forehand. When that happens, my game can’t hurt my opponent. That was the case today.”

Rafael Nadal of Spain returns a ball to Fabio Fognini of Italy during their third round match at the Conde de Godo tennis tournament at the Real Club de Tenis in Barcelona, Spain, 23 April 2015.

Topics: Atp, barcelona abierto, Barcelona Open, Fabio Fognini, Fognini, King of Clay, men tennis news. tennis, nadal, Rafa, Rafael Nadal, Tennis News

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10sBalls_com says:

April 24, 2015 at 10:58 am

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wienerwalz says:

April 25, 2015 at 7:42 am

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