Madrid Open: Rafael Nadal begins farewell with straight-set win
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Rafael Nadal prolongs Madrid farewell by dispatching teenager Darwin Blanch
Spaniard eases to 6-1, 6-0 victory over 16-year-old wildcardVeteran to face Alex de Minaur in second round of Madrid OpenAs Rafael Nadal prepared to enter the Estadio Manolo Santana for what could have been his final match on home soil, like every one of his matches this week could be, much of the 12,400 capacity crowd filled out the walkway around the stadium. He emerged to a prolonged standing ovation, necks craning to catch a fleeting glimpse of his entrance.It was a moment. The start of a...
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Rafael Nadal bids emotional farewell to Madrid Open after loss to Jiri Lehecka
Five-times winner is honoured by event after 7-5, 6-4 defeatWorld No 1 Iga Swiatek to face Madison Keys in semi-finalsRafael Nadal’s rousing, dramatic last stand on home soil came to an end just after midnight in the early hours of Wednesday morning as he was outhit and outplayed by Jiri Lehecka, a talented young Czech, who seized one of the biggest moments of his career so far by toppling the Spaniard 7-5, 6-4 to reach the quarter-finals of the Madrid Open.The defeat will likely mark Nadal’s...
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Madrid farewell for king of clay: Rafael Nadal bids for one last miracle
As the end of his career draws ever closer, the ailing 14-time French Open champion faces a race against time to find formTowards the end of last week, before most of the 192 players in the Madrid Open main draw singles had even touched down in the Spanish capital, Rafael Nadal was already pounding balls on the courts of the Caja Mágica in preparation for the coming tournament.The four-times champion’s early arrival made sense. He is, after all, in a race against time to find at least a...