Good afternoon and welcome
Rafael Nadal, Fabio Fognini, a clay court … sound familiar? It should. Twice this year Nadal has faced the Italian on the red dirt, and on both occasions he has come off worst. There was a time when that would have been almost unimaginable; the only other player who will be able to regale his grandchildren with tales of a season when he beat the nine-time French Open champion on clay more than once is Novak Djokovic. But Nadal’s travails this year are well documented, with his losses to Fognini a barometer of his struggle to make progress since returning from the wrist injury and appendectomy that overshadowed the second half of last year. At the Rio Open in February, when Fognini won 7-5 in the third to end the Spaniard’s extraordinary 52-match unbeaten run in clay-court semi-finals, it was regarded as a major upset. By April, when Fognini repeated the feat in Barcelona, Nadal had slipped to fourth in the rankings, the match was won in straight sets and the reaction was closer to mild surprise than amazement.
The rest we know. Rafa flattered to deceive en route to the last eight in Paris, where he was ruthlessly deposed by Djokovic, and his slide to 10th in the rankings was compounded when he lost to the qualifier Dustin Brown in the second round of Wimbledon. That said, he did win on grass in Stuttgart in the prelude to Wimbledon, and he has marked his return to Germany by playing his way into some decent form since negotiating a tough opening round match against fellow countryman Fernando Verdasco. This week has been all about getting a few matches under his belt and rebuilding confidence ahead of the US hard-court swing. The first requirement has been met; the second will depend on denying Fognini a second crown in Hamburg, where the Italian won the second of his three ATP Tour titles two years ago.
But what a battle it was. Fognini gave a wonderful account of himself, demonstrating that those wins over Nadal in Rio and Barcelona were more than just a rare case of lightning striking twice. Ultimately, though, the Italian was just too up and down, flashing winners one moment and missing sitters the next. Nadal never really attained his very highest level, but he was the more consistent player and his determination was plain for all to see. It’s way too soon to say he’s back, but this was nevertheless an important step on the road to reclaiming a place among the top four. Thanks for reading and enjoy the rest of your Sunday. Read the report here.
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As Nadal points a finger skyward and marches to the net, up in the players’ box Uncle Toni springs to his feet with a cry of “Vamos!” and a punch of the air. That’s the Spaniard’s third title of the year and should give his confidence a welcome boost as his thoughts turn to the US hard-court season that culminates with the US Open at the end of August.
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Nadal wins the second set and the match 7-5, 7-5!
Second set: Nadal 7-5, 7-5 Fognini* (*denotes server) What a titanic struggle that was. Serving to stay in the match, Fognini’s head might easily have gone down after losing the previous game; instead, some enterprising play carries him to 40-15. But just as a tie-break seems inevitable, the Italian gets edgy. A series of poor forehands bring up match point, and his 60th unforced error proves his last. Nadal is the 2015 Hamburg Open champion!
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Second set: Nadal* 7-5, 6-5 Fognini (*denotes server) At 30-40, it’s heart in mouth time for Nadal as Fognini seizes the initiative in a long baseline exchange. But the Italian goes for too much on his backhand, and against the odds we’re suddenly back at deuce. Talking of defying probability, Fognini then conjures a breathtaking forehand winner from a deep position with the ball almost behind him. It earns him another break point, but Nadal simply refuses to give in, staying solid from the back to complete a crucial hold.
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Second set: Nadal 7-5, 5-5 Fognini* (*denotes server) There’s a brief exchange of unpleasantries at the change of ends. Not quite sure what it was about, but it certainly seems to have got both men fired up. Fognini unleashes a huge forehand to get the game underway, and at 40-15 he’s staring at two set points. But Nadal saves them both, thundering a brave backhand winner on the second that seems to break Fognini’s spirit. Moments later, the Italian is beating his head in frustration after an unforced error at deuce; another, on the next point, gives Nadal the break. What a remarkable match this is.
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Second set: Nadal* 7-5, 4-5 Fognini (*denotes server) Stirring stuff from Fognini as Nadal suffers another major setback in this set. The Italian opens the game with a blistering forehand winner, quickly follows up with another, and at deuce he feathers away a high backhand volley to bring up break point. He’s showing genuine belief here, the kind of conviction that earned him those two victories over Nadal earlier in the year. He showed huge mental resilience to win the second of those matches, which was played before a partisan home crowd in Barcelona, and his faith that he can make it three wins in a row against Rafa must be growing by the moment as the Spaniard nets to concede the game. Fognini to serve for the set.
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Second set: Nadal 7-5, 4-4 Fognini* (*denotes server) It all seems to be going Fognini’s way when, serving at 15-0, the Italian’s drive clips the net tape and just creeps over. But Rafa refuses to let his head go down, and at 40-30 he comes out on top of a punishing exchange that sees Fognini pulled every which way. This is more like the Nadal of old, the indomitable spirit capable of retreating to a place where he simply wouldn’t miss a ball for extended periods. Fognini can’t quite find such a space, driving a forehand long on break point to concede his advantage.
Second set: Nadal* 7-5, 3-4 Fognini (*denotes server) As we hit the two-hour mark, Nadal’s inner demons come out to play. Upbeat Rafa slams two successive off forehands for winners, the second of them at 30-40. Downbeat Rafa sends one makeable forehand long at 30-30, and another wide at deuce. Meanwhile, Fognini just keeps plugging away. The Italian’s diligence is rewarded when he follows up a deep return to the Nadal backhand with a winning drop shot. What a blow for Rafa, who has now lost three games in a row.
Second set: Nadal 7-5, 3-3 Fognini* (*denotes server) Now it’s Fognini’s turn to seal a quick, decisive hold. Is the worm beginning to turn? We’ll soon see. They’re back on level terms.
Second set: Nadal* 7-5, 3-2 Fognini (*denotes server) At 30-0, Nadal hits his third double-fault of the day. It’s not a sight to which we’ve become accustomed over the years, but its certainly one that seems to encourage Fognini. The game seesaws back and forth, but it’s the Italian who comes out the victor, a combination of delicacy and power getting him over the line as he follows a winning drop shot with a big forehand. That’s a real setback for Nadal, who will need to put his failure to consolidate the break firmly to the back of his mind if he is to recover the momentum he had established in the opening four games of this set.
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Second set: Nadal 7-5, 3-1 Fognini* (*denotes server) A Fognini error on the opening point, a weak half-volley that gets gobbled up by Rafa on the second, and the Italian is in trouble on serve again. He pulls it back to 30-30 courtesy of some solid serving, but a poor backhand gives Nadal break point and this time there is no argument from Fognini. After a brief exchange, he sends a forehand long and Nadal has a 3-1 lead. The second set could be a lot shorter than the first.
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Second set: Nadal* 7-5, 2-1 Fognini (*denotes server) Fognini needs to alter the pattern of this set fast if he is to retain an interest in proceedings. Nadal follows his love opening game by holding to 15 in the blink of an eye, and after that 12-minute extravaganza on Fognini’s serve, that was the last thing the Italian needed. The next game will be interesting.
Second set: Nadal 7-5, 1-1 Fognini* (*denotes server) If tennis matches could be won by distance covered alone, Nadal would be home and hosed by now. The second point, won by the Spaniard after he runs down a drop shot before ending a rapid-fire exchange with a crisp forehand volley, is a minor marathon in its own right. And the running doesn’t end there. A few points later, a punishing 20-shot rally, the longest of the match, ends with Fognini firing a low-percentage forehand down the line into the doubles alley. Like an experienced prize fighter closing in for the kill against a tiring opponent, Nadal is throwing everything at the Italian. Rallies are lengthened, angles become ever more acute, and barely a ball is missed. It’s the sternest test of Fogini’s mental armour so far, but he survives it magnificently. A brutal forehand winner saves one break point, a Nadal backhand error sees another go begging, and after 12 long minutes the Italian finally lashes away a short ball to wrap things up. Wonder what he’ll be thinking when he looks up and realises it’s only one game apiece.
Second set: Nadal* 7-5, 1-0 Fognini (*denotes server) As predicted, the Nadal shackles look to be off: the shoulders are looking more relaxed, the swing looks freer, and the forehand has suddenly acquired greater venom. That’s a love hold for the Spaniard and the next game could be crucial for Fognini’s hopes.
Nadal wins the first set 7-5!
First set: Nadal 7-5 Fognini* (*denotes server) Oh dear. The Fognini drive volley has been a major feature of this match, but at 15-30 down the Italian miscues one horribly, pulling the ugliest of forehands well wide. It brings up two set points for Nadal, and when the Spaniard fires a bullet of a forehand down the line on the first of them, the set looks done and dusted. Incredibly, it’s not: the ball almost past him, Fognini stretches to his right to angle away a half-volley winner. For good measure, he saves the second set point with a blistering forehand winner and, a couple of deuces later, a third with a quite brilliant off forehand that just catches the line. Nadal must be wondering what he has to do. But when the Spaniard conjures up a fourth opportunity, the pressure finally tells. A high, kicking Fognini serve is treated with contempt, Nadal slamming a forehand down the line for a winner, and he’s a set to the good. And what a set it was. That was an hour and 17 minutes of gruelling, seesaw tennis.
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First set: Nadal* 6-5 Fognini (*denotes server) Now it’s Nadal’s turn to hang tough in the face of a potentially decisive setback. Serving at 15-30 down, the Spaniard works his way to the forecourt before backpedalling to retrieve an overhead. His smash is hard and deep, and Fognini looks to have switched off. Danger averted? Not a bit of it. The Italian suddenly rips a ferocious forehand down the middle, and Nadal responds beautifully to finesse away a volley. A break point subsequently comes and goes for Fognini as Rafa finds the baseline with a forehand before capitalising with the deftest of dropshots. From there, Nadal twice outrallies the Italian to seal the game. Solid stuff from Rafa.
First set: Nadal 5-5 Fognini* (*denotes server) At 15-30, Fognini slams away a short ball to snuff out some rapidly escalating danger. It proves a turning point, the Italian sealing the game to 30 after an errant forehand and a mishit from Rafa. He can’t be happy with that. First test passed by Fognini.
First set: Nadal* 5-4 Fognini (*denotes server) After a few anxious moments, some solid hitting from Nadal gets him over the line at 40-30. You sense this set could be more important for him than the Italian. Win it, and resulting surge of relief and belief could just see him motor away with the match; lose it, and Fognini will really have the bit between his teeth. Either way, the Italian will serve to stay in the set.
First set: Nadal 4-4 Fognini* (*denotes server) Another tough, nervy game goes to deuce, but Fognini weathers the storm to notch up his second hold. The Italian starts the game well enough, working his way into the net behind a barrage of groundstrokes to pressure Nadal into a missed forehand pass. A couple of forehand errors from Fognini give Nadal a foothold, however, and although the Italian atones with a sizzling winner off that wing to bring up a game point, Nadal draws another error from the Italian when a return kicks violently off the baseline, proving too hot to handle. Cue another round of attritional rallies, the momentum switching back and forth until Nadal finally sends a forehand wide of the doubles alley, a mistake he greets with a thoroughly perplexed look.
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First set: Nadal* 4-3 Fognini (*denotes server) Well, there’s a rarity. It’s a love game for Rafa as Fognini suddenly goes off the boil, barely landing a ball in court. Nadal will be grateful for that, and no mistake.
First set: Nadal 3-3 Fognini* (*denotes server) It’s hard to read the mental balance of this match right now. Both players are hitting the ball well, with Nadal the more error prone. But despite failing to hit his stride fully, the Spaniard has stayed with Fognini and holding serve for the first time - however belatedly - should have gone some way to settling his nerves. As for the Italian, he has hit been the more enterprising and aggressive, but has been unable to establish a clear lead. Not that he’s beating himself up too much, judging by the quite brilliant backhand drive volley with which he wraps up his first hold.
First set: Nadal* 3-2 Fognini (*denotes server) Finally, we have a hold! Nadal opens up a 40-0 lead, but when the indefatigable Fognini responds by firing a scorching two-hander down the line for a winner, he must have been preparing to dig in again. No need. An adventurous forehand from the Italian lands just wide, and Rafa seals the quickest game of the match so far.
First set: Nadal 2-2 Fognini* (*denotes server) It’s not hard to see why Rafa has struggled against Fognini this year. The Italian is utterly at ease on this surface, moving fluently and striking the perfect balance between attack and defence. But although he recovers well after falling 0-30 behind, a couple of errant backhands give Nadal a second glimpse, and this time the Spaniard makes no mistake. A fourth break in four games it is. Extraordinary stuff.
First set: Nadal* 1-2 Fognini (*denotes server) Another long, exhausting game goes to deuce, with both players covering every inch of the court. At the end of it all, we have a third successive break as Nadal sends another whirring forehand just wide. The highlight of it all is an incredible rally at 30-15 that ends with the Spaniard retrieving a seemingly unreachable lob, then pounding an attempted forehand pass cross-court to the waiting Fognini, who slots away the volley. Incredible stuff. The players change ends and get their first sit-down of the afternoon. Boy, have they earned it.
First set: Nadal 1-1 Fognini* (*denotes server) The trench warfare continues. Already the rallies are long and punishing, with the difference between the two players discernible chiefly in the relative trajectories of their forehands: whereas Nadal is going for plenty of net clearance, looping the ball back high and with ferocious topspin, Fognini is looking to take the ball early and dictate. This time, though, defence beats attack, Nadal pressing well from deuce to outmanoeuvre the Italian and break straight back. I’m not sticking my neck out when I say this could be a long one; hope you’ve packed sandwiches.
First set: Nadal* 0-1 Fognini (*denotes server) Wow. If the opening game was a taste of what we’re in for, this could be a real treat. Nadal makes a solid start, serving with fluency and timing the ball well off both sides as he races to 40-15. But Fognini, perhaps showing the greater willingness to press the issue, crafts a beautiful forehand winner to fire a warning shot across the Nadal bows. Before you know it, all-out clay-court warfare has broken loose. With the rallies lengthening by the point, the game lurches first one way and then the other, game points coming and going for both men. Finally, after 12 minutes, Rafa lashes a forehand wide and the Italian has the break. Phew. What a start!
It’s Nadal to serve, here we go! It’s a beautiful sunny day in Hamburg; ideal conditions for clay-court tennis, especially from Rafa’s perspective.
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So what should we expect as the players complete their warm-up? A war of attrition, is what. After surviving a couple of three-setters in the opening rounds, Fognini has been playing with growing authority this week. The same goes for Rafa, who must have had a sharp intake of breath when he saw he had been drawn against Verdasco in the first round, but looked mighty impressive in winning his semi-final 6-1, 6-2 against Andreas Seppi yesterday. It’ll be forehands to the fore and long rallies all round. We’ll know a little more about where Rafa’s game is after this.
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