Rafael Nadal’s whisper quiet Australian Open continues, with the world number two handed a gift passage into the quarter finals, after Paul-Henri Mathieu retired midway through the second set of their Sunday Night Rod Laver Arena match. Nadal led 6-4, 3-0 when the contest came to a permanent halt.
Mathieu had a problem with his right ankle from the start of the match. The Frenchman’s movement had been stunted, disastrous against the energetic Spaniard.
“I was a little bit tight before the match,” Mattieu said. “I felt it on the first point of the match. I suppose I just pull it a little bit.”
Nadal has been a mere spectator to a spectacular stretch of days, in which several big names – including Roger Federer – have been subject to drawn-out thrillers. While those players are either catching up on sleep or getting a plane home, Nadal is itching to get meaningful court time.
“For me, it would be a little disappointing (for Mattieu to retire), because I was playing a great match today,” Nadal said.
“I was feeling my best level here in Australia.”
Nadal takes on Jarkko Nieminen in the quarters, with an expected victory to take the Spaniard to his first Melbourne Park semi final. With the unheralded Jo-Wilfried Tsonga and Mikhail Youzhny filling the rest of the bottom half of the draw, Nadal is a clear favourite to be back on Rod Laver Arena next Sunday evening.
“I’m in quarterfinals without losing a set, so that’s always very important.”
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