Rafael Nadal and Juan Martin Del Potro met in the most anticipated quarter-final contest on the centre court. It was a high octane contest, not for the weak hearts. The crowd favour appeared to be with the challenger.
The games went with the serve as both the players were serving great, especially Del Potro who not only served fast but at such angles that Nadal found it difficult to return the serves. Nadal too had little difficulty in winning his service games. Nadal made his move in the sixth game on Del Potro serve and earned his first break point. Del Potro served an ace to nip it in the bud. He was an equal to Nadal at this point of the match. Del Potro was winning his service games with ease whereas Nadal was winning it through rallies. Del Potro was playing the game he played at U.S. Open 2009. His ground strokes were hard. It was surprising to see Nadal blocking the service returns which were just sitting up on landing in Del Potro’s court enabling Del Potro to belt them to any part of the court. Del Potro was able to wriggle out of trouble again and again which must have been very frustrating to Nadal. He called the trainer when the set went to the tie breaker. His heel was apparently hurting on the outer side. He took medical time out inspite of Del Potro’s protest. He was in clear discomfort in the tie breaker. The momentum alternated tantalizingly with the excitement reaching a crescendo when Del Potro arrived at the set point. He could not make it. Nadal got the set point next at 7-6 and did nothing to win it since Del Potro committed a double fault.
Del Potro started the second set in the same fashion winning service game without difficulty. His serve was returned short by Nadal, who continued to just block the serve. Del Potro was returning the serve deep making service games more difficult for Nadal. Nadal was not at his best both physically or game wise. Having been gifted the first set, the misplaced apprehension of retirement vanished from his fans’ mind. He was playing without looking at his heels now. But he was repeatedly overhitting his inside out forehand. Nadal was looking not his usual self but was just hanging on. Del Potro broke Nadal to go up 5-3 and served out the set without loss of a point. He was the deserved winner of the set.
Pattern was the same at the start of the third set. Del Potro will put a heavy first serve in, invite short return from Nadal and put away the ball to the other corner. Inspite of the loss of the first set, Del Potro had looked the better player thus far. A second serve ace in the first game of the third set told it all. Del Potro was reading Nadal’s game clearly and Nadal’s body language was not inspiring. The basic difference was the depth of the shot. Nadal was unable to keep the ball deep. Del Potro’s ground strokes were increasing in pace and power. At 2-2, Del Potro slipped badly and went out with the trainer. He returned and continued pummeling the ball as before. Unlike in the first set, Nadal was not even reaching the break point on Del Potro’s serve. Del Potro was growing from strength to strength and it looked a matter of time when Nadal would face a break point. Del Potro was the aggressor and Nadal, the retriever. There was no break of serve and the tie breaker arrived with momentum riding with Del Potro. But it was Nadal who won the tie break 7-4.
All the quarter-final matches had finished but this match was still in the fourth set running into fourth hour. The rallies were rather short but both players were taking a lot of time in between the points. Nadal had got the warning in the first set. In the fourth set, Del Potro appeared to concentrate more on Nadal’s backhand. At 2-2 in the fourth set, Nadal got a chance to break and utilised it successfully. This was the first time Del Potro was broken. Games went with the serve and it was on Nadal to serve out the set at 5-4. He got all the four first serves in and successfully got through 7-6 3-6 7-6 6-4.
The match lived upto the billing it had received. It was a top quality display which will linger in the memories for a long time. Irrespective of the result, one thing was clear. Del Potro has arrived.
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