“Yesterday I played (after taking) an anaesthetic injection on the wrist”, said the dejected Spaniard, who showed no signs of the injury during his win over Bagnis. The top-ranked Serb was far from his best, hitting 42 unforced errors against Belgian qualifier Steve Darcis, but his mistakes did not prevent him from advancing 7-5, 6-3, 6-4.
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“If it was not Roland Garros I would probably not take risks on playing the first two days, but it is the most important event of the year for me so we tried our best”. “I’m happy with the fact that I was able to continue”.
The 29-year-old is widely regarded as one of the greatest clay-court players of all time, having won Roland Garros a record nine times, most recently in 2014. Djokovic said he struggled to cope with his opponent’s speed from the baseline.
Nadal, plagued by knee and wrist injuries througout his career, added: “This is a very bad position, but that’s life”. “I know that I can not finish the tournament”.
Rafael Nadal went down fighting on his favourite battleground a year ago but this time his quest for an unprecedented 10th French Open title ended sitting glumly in front of a microphone. While the former withdrew even before the start of the tournament due to an upset back, the latter’s wrist injury marked his departure midway through the ongoing tournament.
“Today is one of the toughest press conferences of my career”.
On Thursday, he advanced to the third round with a 6-3, 6-0, 6-3 victory over Facundo Bagnis of Argentina. “But yes, this setback has come at the worst moment”, said Toni. When Carlos Costa called me and said, Guy, we need to talk, I went there very rapidly to talk with the physicians of the tournament.
The Scot, who needed five sets to win both of his opening matches, eased through his third round tie today against big-serving Croatian Ivo Karlovic, 6-1, 6-4, 7-6.
Nadal, meanwhile, was the major obstacle to Novak Djokovic reaching another final as he chases the one slam title still to elude him.
Women’s fourth-round matches will be Rogers against No. 25 Irina-Camelia Begu, No. 2 Agnieszka Radwanska against unseeded Tsvetana Pironkova, No. 4 Garbine Muguruza against No. 13 Svetlana Kuznetsova, and No. 6 Simona Halep against No. 21 Sam Stosur. “It’ s not same as previous wrist issues, felt first in Madrid”, said Nadal, referring to the right wrist injury he suffered two years ago and some uncomfortable things he mentioned at last month’ s Monte Carlo Masters where he was crowned.
Japanese Nishikori let slip a two-set lead against Spain’s Fernando Verdasco before prevailing 6-3 6-4 3-6 2-6 6-4.
The return of Nadal’s injury curse caused the greatest impact, though, and his chances of recovering in time to play at Wimbledon next month already look in the balance.
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A loss to the 101st-ranked Osaka would be the fourth time in the last five Grand Slam tournaments that Halep has fallen to a player ranked 70 or below.
