Twenty-two times Grand Slam winner Rafael Nadal is known for his passion, grit, and determination around the world. Meanwhile, on September 1, the Spanish legend again showed the world why his willpower and devotion to the game are unlike any other. During the game against Fabio Fognini for the U.S. Open, Nadal won the game even after enduring a bloody nose injury.
Rafael Nadal Beats Fabio Fognini To Qualify For Finals!
Rafael Nadal registered a fantastic victory over Fabio Fognini at the US Open game on September 1, 2022. Rafa defeated the Italian star by 2-6, 6-4, 6-2, 6-1. After winning the match, Rafael has avenged the crushing defeat he suffered against Fabio in 2015. However, another reason this win made headlines is that the Spaniard had to play almost half of the game with a bloody nose injury. The risk of a loss increased as Nadal struggled to find his flow. The seasoned Italian exploded out of the gate to build a set and a 4-2 lead. As Nadal has now won last night’s encounter, he will now play Richard Gasquet. Rafael has an impeccable career record of 17-0 against Richard.
It was the second match in a row where Nadal dropped the first set. This also happened in his previous game against the Australian player Rinky Hijikata. The first five games of the second set were breaks. And Nadal had to summon the physio to get his left hand treated. Fognini took the lead with a score of 4-2 before Nadal won the next four games to take the set and tie the match. In each of the first two sets, Nadal only managed to hit three winners.
But against Fognini, who required a medical timeout so his right foot could be bandaged. The four-time winner increased his win total to take the third set. In the game, Nadal managed to cruise to a 3-0 lead. With his win against Fognini, Rafael Nadal became the first player to qualify for the Nitto ATP finals 2022.
How Did Nadal Hurt His Nose?
Nadal suffered a terrible nose injury in the game against Fabio Fognini on Thursday, September 1, 2022. The Spaniard was injured during the fourth set of the match. While trying to hit a backhand shot, Rafael Nadal dropped his racquet. As Nadal swung the racquet with force, it bounced back after touching the ground, only to hit Rafael Nadal on his nose. Soon after the racquet hit him, Nadal started bleeding extensively from his nose and had to receive medical attention. Nonetheless, the injury was not enough to stop the champion as he ended up on the winning side at the end of the match.
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