Rafa Nadal faces Frenchman Richard Gasquet this morning in the third round of the US Open in search of a ticket to the round of 16 of the New York tournament, in which he has not participated for two seasons. Last year he missed it due to a foot injury, while in 2020, with the calendar altered by the pandemic, he prioritized his presence at Roland Garros.
The precedents are favorable to the Balearic tennis player, but he is not looking comfortable in the tournament. He has needed four sets to overcome Hijikata in the first round, and Fognini in the second, in two games in which he has gone from less to more, so a better version of Nadal is expected against the Frenchman.
“I was making such a mess that I wasn't getting any pause. The pace was much higher than usual, even without making long points. I felt very fast and that did not allow me to think clearly and act with my game standards," Nadal assured after beating Fognini.
"The important thing is to have the humility to tolerate myself and forgive my mistakes. I don't think I'm so good that I can't make mistakes. When things go very badly, the ball is thrown to the center, so that the other can win the points," he added. Nadal.
For his part, Gasquet has also won the previous two matches in four sets against Japanese Taro Daniel and Serbian Mlomir Kecmanovic. Since they met for the first time when they were 12 years old, Nadal and Gasquet have met 17 times, all with a victory for the man from Manacor, who has only lost to the Frenchman in the San Juan de Luz Challenger almost two decades ago (2003 ), and it was due to Nadal's withdrawal due to injury.
Weighed down by physical problems, he has just retired in the Wimbledon semifinals due to an abdominal injury and still needs to pick up his pace, although he remains undefeated this season at the Grand Slam.
The US Open third-round match between Frenchman Richard Gasquet and Spaniard Rafa Nadal will be played on the Arthur Ashe court, not before one in the morning from Saturday to Sunday and can be seen live on Eurosport. In addition, La Vanguardia will offer minute by minute highlights of the match.
