MADRID, 10 Jan. (EUROPA PRESS) –
The ATP Cup quarter-final qualifier that measures Spain and Belgium this Friday in Sydney will be decided in the doubles match after David Goffin has surprised Rafa Nadal to equalize the contest and neutralize Roberto Bautista's initial victory against Kimmer Coppejans
Things had become favorable after the Spaniard remained firm and got rid of the 158 of the world in two sleeves by 6-1, 6-4, but, against all odds, the world number one could not finish the job before a great Goffin, who defeated him 6-4, 7-6 ().
The tennis player of Rocourt displayed his best level to end the great winning streak that swept the manacorí, which had emerged victorious in all his matches since Alexander Zverev defeated him in the first game of the ATP Finals.
Precisely in the appointment of 'teachers' of 2017, the Belgian had his only victory against the Balearic in his five clashes, but on that occasion, there was some physical decline in the Spanish, which did not happen in his duel in Sydney where Nadal He never felt comfortable.
The winner of 19 'Grand Slams' did not find the real way to dominate Goffin. Too erratic and without rhythm with his service, he ran into a great version of his rival, very sharp in all his punches, especially with a parallel setback that did a lot of damage.
Nadal soon realized that he was not expecting a simple game. He raised with quality a 0-40 in the third game, but could not do so in a similar situation in the fifth and eleven of the world took an advantage, ephemeral because the Spaniard, who had already threatened the rest too, replied instantly.
There came his best moments in the game, but he was not able to finish a clear 0-40 with 4-3 on the scoreboard and his weakness in the service ended up costing him expensive with another break that Goffin did confirm and make him lose his First set from London.
The picture was complicated as soon as the second set began. The Belgian number one broke again and took an advantage that would no longer be released thanks to its solidity in the exchanges and the continuous failures of the twelve-time Roland Garros won, whose face denoted that he was not having a good time.
However, true to his character, he grabbed the track and ended up finding his chance in the eighth game, despite Goffin's resistance. This endured the improvement of the manacorí and reached the 'sudden death' where it returned to be more solid to take the game to the decisive double.
BAPTIST DOES NOT FAIL
Rocourt's left the initial triumph of Roberto Bautista 6-1, 6-4 against Kimmer Coppejans. The Spaniard, who remains firm in this tournament where he is taking his matches forward with enough solvency, did not give his opponent too many options, although he suffered much more in the second quarter, where he had to lift a 'break' of disadvantage to seal the victory by the fast track.
The simplest was the first where Baptist was very strong with the service, with which he only awarded four points, only one playing with first. Coppejans did not find the formula in the rest and neither firmly replied to the service, especially when he had to play with seconds.
Thus, after the initial 1-1, the Spanish tennis player took five straight games to quickly finish the first set, which had nothing to do with the second. The Castellón wasted two breaking balls in the first game and his opponent did not waste his first chances to the rest to break and get 3-0.
Bautista did not get nervous and managed to balance quickly before entering the decisive line where he returned to pull experience, especially in the long eighth game where Coppejans had two 'break' balls. He did not take advantage of them and the ten of the world 'stole' the line-up, followed to sentence later.