Brisbane, Jan 5: Rafael Nadal missed three match points and needed a medical time-out Friday before losing to Jordan Thompson in the quarterfinals of his tournament comeback following a year-long injury layoff.
The 22-time major winner failed to convert a match point in the 10th game of the second set and two more in the tiebreaker before No. 55-ranked Thompson rallied to win 5-7, 7-6 (6), 6-3 at the Brisbane International.
With the Australian Open starting January 14, Nadal’s rehabilitation from the hip injury and surgery that sidelined him for most of 2023 will be tested.
The 37-year-old Spaniard opened the tournament with straight-sets wins over Dominic Thiem and Jason Kubler but was pushed for 3 hours and 25 minutes by Thompson in what was his third match in four nights.
His energy level visibly waned at the start of the third set. And, after Thompson broke in the fourth game and then held for a 4-1 lead, Nadal was assessed by the trainer apparently for his upper left leg.
He left the court for a medical timeout before returning and playing for another 20 minutes.
After sending a backhand long on match point to end the longest rally of the match, Nadal walked around the net to embrace Thompson. He blew a kiss and waved to the crowd as he walked off Pat Rafter Arena around midnight.
Thompson also got the upper hand in a doubles match last Sunday when he combined with Max Purcell to beat Nadal and Marc Lopez, the 2016 Olympic champions.
His reward this time is a semifinal against second-seeded Grigor Dimitrov, a former Brisbane International champion.
Top-seeded Holger Rune had a 6-2, 7-6 (6) win over James Duckworth to set up a semi-final against Roman Safiullin, who beat Matteo Arnaldi 7-6 (4), 6-2.
Aryna Sabalenka and Victoria Azarenka will be on opposite sides of the net in the women’s semifinals almost five years after teaming up on the same court in a Fed Cup semifinal against Australia.
Australian Open champion Sabalenka ensured the match-up when she extended her winning streak Down Under to 14 with a 6-1, 6-4 win over fifth-seeded Daria Kasatkina on Friday.
She won a title in Adelaide last year before her Grand Slam breakthrough at Melbourne Park, the start of a 2023 season that also included a run to the US Open final and the semifinals at the French Open and Wimbledon.
Yuki Bhambri-Robin Haase pair in semifinals
India’s Yuki Bhambri and his Dutch partner Robin Haase on Friday entered the semifinals of the Brisbane International ATP Tour tournament, beating the American pair of Nathaniel Lammons and Jackson Withrow in straight sets.
The eight-seeded Indo-Dutch pair won 7-6 (5), 7-6 (6) in the quarterfinal. Bhambri-Haase duo will face second seeds Lloyd Glasspool of England and Jean-Julien Rojer of the Netherlands in the semifinals.
Last year, Bhambri won his maiden ATP title at the Mallorca Championships doubles competition, partnering with South African Lloyd Harris. (Agencies)
