Google News Rafael Nadal reacts to losing to Novak Djokovic at French Open
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Spanish tennis superstar Rafael Nadal was disappointed after his French Open semifinal exit but acknowledged that's sport and anything could happen. Nadal, who was seeded at No. 3, won the first set of his semifinal clash before world No.
1 Novak Djokovic stormed back to win The key moment of the match came in the third set, which Djokovic won to take a 2-1 lead. Nadal recovered from a 5-3 deficit to level the set at five games apiece and then saved two break points to take a 6-5 lead.
In the following game. Nadal failed to convert a set point and then lost the tie-break. “That’s sport,” Nadal said. “Sometimes you win, sometimes you lose. I tried to give my best…. I had the big chance with set point, 6-5, second serve.
That’s it. Anything could happen in that moment”.
Nadal fell short in his quest for French Open title No. 14
“Probably was not my best day out there,” the 35-year-old admitted. “Even if I [fought], that I put a lot of effort, I mean, the position on the shots [wasn’t] that effective tonight.
Against a player like him that takes the ball early, you are not able to take him out of his positions, then is very difficult, no?…. These kind of mistakes can happen. But if you want to win, you can’t make these mistakes.
So that’s it. Well done for him. [It was] a good fight out there. I try my best, and today was not my day. “(It) is true that probably the conditions were a little bit slower later on. We had been playing with very warm and high bounces.
During the night the situation goes a little bit the other way, no? So bounce a little bit less. The ball gets less topspin. That’s more favorable for him, the conditions. By the way, doesn’t matter. That’s tennis.
The player who get used to the conditions better is the player who deserves to win. So no doubt he deserved to win”. Nadal arrived to Roland Garros as the top favorite to win it all. “It’s not a moment to be pleased,” Nadal concluded, “but it’s not a moment to create drama.
You can sit in the middle…. I’m not the kind of man celebrating a lot when I win. On the other hand I’m not the kind of person who makes drama when I lose”.
