The Spaniard, inactive for five weeks, falls in three sets against Tommy Paul

Carreño, the American’s next rival

MADRID, Nov. 3 (EUROPA PRESS) –

Spanish tennis player Rafa Nadal said goodbye to the first change of the Paris-Bercy tournament, the last Masters 1000 of the season, when he fell (3-6, 7-6 (4), 6-1) this Wednesday against the American Tommy Paul, who will now be seen in the round of 16 with fellow Spaniard Pablo Carreño.

The Parisian rendezvous continues to be elusive in the Balearic Islands. Nadal, who was returning to action after being a father for the first time, had a demanding rival he managed to tame in the opening set. However, confidence grew in the American as it dwindled in an upset Nadal for not playing his game and seemingly tired, paying for perhaps five weeks of inactivity.

The 22 ‘big’ champion, who has added several epic pages to his story this 2022, did not have one more to write in a tournament he has never won, an ‘indoor’ hard court that not allow failure. The first set was missed, a ‘break’ against which he took over with authority until closing the act with a second break.

Paul, perfect in the net, did not flinch even with another ‘break’ on the counter, while Nadal lost face in the match by wasting this rent (2-2). The Balearics’ serve began to falter and, in sudden death, Nadal’s mistakes piled up. Thus, the world number two gave up his sleeve to an adult Paul.

The American, who this year lost to the Spaniard in Acapulco, saw his options crumble when Nadal continued with errors in the third set. The American confirmed the “break” early and Nadal, discouraged in his chair, gave up game after game until saying goodbye to Paris-Berzy, his penultimate meeting of the year before Turin.

The Spaniard is qualified to play in the ATP Finals, although his worried face, like the one seen several times this year due to the injuries he suffered – rib, foot, abdomen – leaves some unknowns about what happened. past. Paul, who got rid of Roberto Bautista before, will go for the hat-trick of Spanish victims.

Carreño played a second game in the Paris match against Canadian Denis Shapovalov (7-6(2), 2-6, 6-4). The match began with an exchange of “beaks”, a battle that would last throughout the match. Sudden death gave the advantage to the Asturian, but the American, finalist a few days ago in Vienna, did not lower the level in a nice reaction.

The second set left a better version of Shapovalov on serve, but when he reached the third and final set, the Canadian lost his serve in the opener. Carreño, without cracks, led the lead until victory after two and a quarter hours of duel.