Rafa Nadal’s journey in this Wimbledon is filled with good and bad moments. The objective is for the first to weigh more. The Nadal clay is not as devastating as the cement. But the Balearic is slowly approaching his level on grass. Victories like this one against Ricardas Belis (6-4, 6-6, 4-6, and 6-3), show the progress you are making.
The Spaniard was very clear with himself. “I played poorly, especially in the first and second sets. He stated that he did not feel the ball at all during a press conference. It helped him get to the third round. He said that playing poorly isn’t bad. The greatest difference I believe we have both Federer, Djokovic, and myself; You all know that I’m not arrogant in this sense but if we have done anything better than the rest, it’s that we have won the most games playing poorly,” said Nadal. He is currently in the third round of the tournament, having played two irregular games.
This is key to the success and happiness of tennis players. Because there are very few differences at this level, playing well will ensure that almost everyone wins. You win by inertia when you play well. The key is to win even when you lose. Manacor’s player highlighted that if you play poorly and win, you might play well in next week.”
This is why Nadal felt positive after the match against Berankis. It is a sign that, three years ago, the most important thing is to add minutes. “Four sets and more that three hours of play. He clarified that everything helps.
To save Berankis’ moment, the Balearic had to have several moments of quality in a midst of many errors. Nadal was the one who made the most of his chances in the first set. The advantage was held by Nadal in the second set, but it was lost to the Lithuanian. There were two butterfly flutters, which could have ended in either direction, but Nadal’s tennis prevailed.
To score a point, Berankis had to play a nearly perfect set with only two unforced mistakes. Nadal was then set up by Berankis, who inflicted the second set on the tournament. This shows that the Balearic may not be one hundred percent yet, and also a reminder of one of his maxims. “Experience will tell you when you need to be at the highest level. He said that neither today nor the day of his debut are the best days to be at your highest level.
He won 12 of the 13 first points in the third set. He created an advantage that won him the match until it was interrupted by the rain. The organization took 50 minutes to break down the match. They waited to roof the track, then it took them a while to take the canvas off and allow the game to continue. Nadal at 3-0 was able to hold his three next services and secure his passage to the third round. Although it wasn’t a crushing, it was an important and compelling performance.
On Saturday, he will face Lorenzo Sonego from Italy. He defeated Hugo Gaston in the first round and will now face the Spanish for his first match of the season. The transalpine defeated Denis Kudla and Hugo Gaston in round one. He also has a strong record on grass where he won an Antalya 2019 title and lost an Eastbourne final.