Latest update April 18th, 2024 12:59 AM
Jun 25, 2013 Sports
Federer, Sharapova advance
WIMBLEDON, England — Rafael Nadal is out of Wimbledon early for the second year in a row.
Nadal, playing his first match since winning the French Open, was outplayed, outserved and ultimately ousted by Steve Darcis of Belgium, ranked No. 135 in the world, 7-6 (7-4), 7-6 (10-8), 6-4. “That’s the sport and sometimes you play well and have the chance to win and sometimes you play worse and the opponent plays well and you lose,” Nadal said. “I tried my best out there in every moment and it was not possible for me this afternoon and that’s all.”
Roger Feder and Maria Sharapova enjoyed safe passage to the next round in their respective matches.
It’s the first first-round loss in a major for the two-time Wimbledon champion, who was 34-0 entering the match. Last year Nadal lost in the second round to Lukas Rosol of the Czech Republic and then was out for the rest of the year with a knee injury.
Nadal clearly was not at his best on Monday, not moving particularly well and struggling with what looked to be a sore knee. Nadal deflected questions about his health, saying “today is not the time to talk about this.”
It was only the third loss of the year for Nadal, who was 43-2 and on a 22-match winning streak entering Wimbledon. Nadal had reached the final of all nine events he had entered in 2013.
Darcis is the lowest-ranked player to defeat Nadal at a Grand Slam event. He is the lowest-ranked player to defeat Nadal at any event since Sweden’s Joachim Johansson (No. 690) at 2006 Stockholm.
Brazil’s Gustavo Kuerten was the last reigning Roland Garros champion to lose in the first round of Wimbledon in 1997. When told that this match was being called a real shocker, Darcis told a TV interviewer, “I think the same.”
“Rafa Nadal didn’t play his best tennis today,” the 29-year-old Belgian said. “The first match on grass is always difficult. It’s his first one. Of course, it’s a big win. I tried to come to the net as soon as I could, not play too far from the baseline. I think it worked pretty good today.”
Coming into the tournament, Nadal’s status as the No. 5 seed was drawing much of the attention. He would potentially have had to face seven-time champion Roger Federer in the quarterfinals.
“So much for that Roger vs. Rafa,” American John Isner said when told that Nadal was on the verge of losing. Nadal trailed No. 107 Chris Guccione 6-5 in the first set at 2007 Sydney before retiring.
Also Monday:
•Seven-time champion Federer had no troubling, rolling over Victor Hanescu of Romania 6-3, 6-2, 6-0 in 68 minutes.
•British favorite Andy Murray also had an easy time, defeating Benjamin Becker of Germany 6-4, 6-3, 6-2.
•Maria Sharapova had a tough first set but survived a test from Kristina Mladenovic of France 7-6 (7-5), 6-3.
•2011 champion Petra Kvitova of the Czech Republic needed three sets, but she advanced, 6-1, 5-7, 6-4 vs. CoCo Vandeweghe of the USA.
•Teenager Monica Puig of Puerto Rico upset the No. 5 seed on the women’s side, Sara Errani of Italy, 6-3, 6-2.
•Second-seeded Victoria Azarenka overcame a right knee injury from a scary fall beating Maria Joao Koehler of Portugal 6-1, 6-2.
•Two American women advanced, No. 17 Sloane Stephens and Christina McHale. Both took out compatriots. McHale defeated Alexa Glatch 6-4, 6-4, and Stephens defeated a weary Jamie Hampton 6-3, 6-3. Hampton lost in the final Sunday at Eastbourne.
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