Kathmandu: World number two Rafael Nadal has reached the semifinals of the Wimbledon Open with a hard-fought victory.
Nadal defeated Taylor Fritz of the United States in a five-set match on Wednesday night at Center Court.
It was clear he had aggravated an abdominal injury that had bothered him all tournament. He asked the umpire for a medical timeout.
So uncomfortable was Nadal that he gave fleeting but serious consideration to calling it a day. He couldn’t bring himself to do it.
“I did it a couple of times in my tennis career,” he said. “Is something that I hate to do it. So I just keep trying, and that’s it.”
That — and some medical attention — proved to be enough, as Nadal slogged through the pain to rally to victory in a marathon match, four hours and 21 minutes. He held off the 11th-seeded American 3-6, 7-5, 3-6, 7-5, 7-6, finally winning in a 10-4 tie-break.
