Rafael Nadal on his ‘one in a 1,000’ win over Daniil Medvedev: I was super lucky. Sorry Daniil

Rafael Nadal came back from the dead, saving a match at 5-1 down in the third set, to beat Daniil Medvedev at the ATP Finals and keep his hopes of reaching the semi-finals alive.
Having lost his opening match against defending champion Alexander Zverev, Nadal was under pressure to get a win under his belt.
And for long periods in the decider it looked like he would suffer back-to-back defeats as Medvedev built what looked like an unassailable lead as he was one game away from winning the match.
However, the world No 1 stormed back to claim an incredible 6-7 (3-7), 6-3, 7-6 (7-4) victory in two hours and 48 minutes.
File under “Epic Rafael Nadal Comebacks” 🤯@RafaelNadal #NittoATPFinals pic.twitter.com/u6XaqV0ZGF
— Tennis TV (@TennisTV) November 13, 2019
After no breaks of serve in the first set, Medvedev edged the tie-breaker before Nadal hit back in the second set by breaking in games one and nine.
The Russian dominated the decider early on as he broke twice to lead 4-0 and then squandered two more break points in game five for a 5-0 lead.
Nadal eventually got on the scoreboard and Medvedev won his next service game before the match turned on its head as the Spaniard won five games in a row.
“I’ve been super lucky,” the 19-time Grand Slam winner said. “Sorry for Daniil. It’s a tough loss. He was playing much better than me in the third set. It’s one of these days, one out of 1,000, where you win.
“I know from my personal experience how tough it is to close out matches, especially when you have two breaks in front and you lose the first one. [At 3-5], I thought I had a chance. I think I was a little bit better in the end. In general terms, I think I was playing much better than two days ago, so that’s a very positive thing for me.”
He added: “Daniil is super tough mentally. He showed everybody during all this year what he achieved. If you are not able to be very solid mentally, it’s impossible, honestly.”
Like our Facebook page and follow us on Twitter @T365Official.
Latest
-
Tennis News
How much can Novak Djokovic, Carlos Alcaraz, Rafael Nadal charge for a sponsored post on Instagram?
Rafael Nadal may have slipped down the rankings, but he can still get some good money for sponsored ads.
-
Tennis News
Emma Raducanu backed to win more Slams, but warned about ‘toxic’ social media and endorsement obligations
Monica Puig has some advice for Emma Raducanu.
-
Wimbledon
Roger Federer’s BBC Wimbledon role should be ‘something unique’ like ‘running a show or doing interviews’
It wouldn’t make sense for Roger Federer to sit in the commentary booth for eight hours a day.
-
Tennis News
Dominic Thiem explains ‘defining criteria’ that leaves only Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic in GOAT race
“Everything else is fine, but it’s not the same,” says Dominic Thiem.
-
Tennis News
Young Americans relishing prospect of the clay swing
Ben Shelton and the other young Americans are raring to go on clay.
-
News
Man City scandal, politics and Mason Greenwood – the tennis player driving a spicy Twitter account
Twitter can be a place where opinions can divide and reactions can be brutal, yet Liam Broady doesn’t hold back.
-
Grand Slam
Jimmy Connors delivers trademark tribute to Novak Djokovic
Jimmy Connors delivers a glowing tribute to Novak Djokovic.
-
ATP Tour
Novak Djokovic on course to break rankings record in February
Novak Djokovic moves one step closer to immortality.
-
WTA Tour
WTA Rankings: Alycia Parks on the brink of top 50, Lin Zhu achieves season goal
It was a landmark week for Alycia Parks and Lin Zhu.
-
Tennis News
The Davis Cup Finals group stage set after qualifiers
The Davis Cup finals are taking shape.