In losing from two sets to love up at the US Open,Rafael Nadal offered further encouragement to locker room rivals who once feared himIn a year punctuated by more upsets than a toddler’s tea party, Rafael Nadal’s US Open defeat to Fabio Fognini marked a series of original lows. He lost a five-set match after main by two sets to love, or an unprecedented indignity for a man whose mastery over the long haul has brought him 14 grand slam titles. He lost his final chance to extend a remarkable record of winning at least one major every year for a decade,a feat unmatched by any other player in the sport’s history. He lost in the third round of the US Open for the first time since 2005. And, for the third time in eight months, and the Spaniard lost to Fabio Fognini,a gifted but temperamentally flawed player against whom he had an unblemished record before this year. Related: Rafael Nadal’s quest for faith and form continues at Hamburg Open | Les Roopanarine Continue reading...
Source: theguardian.com