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SPORTS Thursday 19 January 2023

Hampered by bad hip, Rafael Nadal loses at Australian Open

By HOWARD FENDRICH Slam tournament since
AP Tennis Writer Serena Williams and Roger
MELBOURNE, Australia (AP) Federer announced their
— Rafael Nadal bowed his retirements.
head during changeovers Nadal arrived in Melbourne
and rested his elbows on with an 0-2 record this sea-
his knees, the very picture son, making him 1-6 dating
of resignation. to September, when he lost
What already was a poor to Tiafoe in the fourth round
start to 2023, following a of the U.S. Open.
year marred by all manner Even during a first-round
of health issues, reached a victory Monday, a four-
low point at the Australian setter against a cramping
Open on Wednesday. Jack Draper, Nadal never
The defending champion quite seemed to be at his
and No. 1 seed at Mel- chase-every-ball, put-ev-
bourne Park, Nadal injured ery-high-spin-shot-on-tar-
his left hip and lost to Mack- get best. He looked, some-
enzie McDonald 6-4, 6-4, how, his age.
7-5 in the second round, The same was the case
abruptly ending his bid for from the outset against Mc-
a record-extending 23rd Donald.
Grand Slam trophy. “I’m really happy with
“It’s a tough moment. It’s Rafael Nadal of Spain reacts during his second round loss to Mackenzie McDonald of the U.S. at how I started that match. I
a tough day,” said Nadal, the Australian Open tennis championship in Melbourne, Australia, Wednesday, Jan. 18, 2023. thought I was playing really
a 36-year-old Spaniard. “I Associated Press well, serving great, return-
can’t say that I am not de- ing well, too,” McDonald
stroyed mentally at this mo- who won NCAA champi- Iga Swiatek, No. 3 Jessica A year ago, Nadal won said. “So I was really taking
ment, because I would be onships in singles and dou- Pegula and No. 6 Maria the Australian Open for the it to him.”
lying.” bles for UCLA in 2016. Sakkari won matches that second time to earn his 21st That is true. From the get-
He pulled up awkwardly at “I was in the locker room,” put them in the third round major championship, then go, McDonald was on,
the end of a point late in McDonald said about the before more than a dozen raised his total to 22 the Nadal was off.
the second set against the aftermath of the match, others even had contested most for a man at Roland The very first game served
65th-ranked McDonald. “and I was like, ‘Hey, that’s a single point in the first Garros. as something of a harbin-
Nadal was visited by a actually really big for me, round. He is currently ranked No. ger: McDonald broke for
trainer on the sideline, then because I haven’t beaten At night, 2022 French Open 2 but was the top seed at a 1-0 lead thanks a trio of
left the court for a medical someone of that caliber.’” runner-up Coco Gauff got Melbourne Park because unforced errors by Nadal
timeout. Up in the stands, This is Nadal’s earliest exit past 2021 U.S. Open cham- No. 1 Carlos Alcaraz is sit- two off his feared lefty fore-
his wife wiped away tears. at any Grand Slam tourna- pion Emma Raducanu 6-3, ting out the Australian hand side.
Nadal returned to play, but ment since bowing out in 7-6 (4) in a second-round Open with a bad leg. Out of sorts, Nadal got into
was clearly compromised the first round in Melbourne meeting between two of Nadal’s body has betrayed a back-and-forth with chair
and not his usual indefati- in 2016 against No. 45 Fer- the sports young stars. him quite a bit recently. umpire Marijana Veljovic
gable self, saying after- nando Verdasco. That “I know a lot of people He needed pain-killing in- during breaks in action
ward that he could not hit also made Verdasco the were looking forward to jections for his left foot on about whether she was
his backhand properly and lowest-ranked player to that matchup,” said Gauff, the way to winning the starting the between-points

could not run much, either. defeat Nadal in Australia an 18-year-old American. French Open last June, serve clock too quickly for
But Nadal added that, as until, of course, McDonald “I’m glad we got the prime pulled out of Wimbledon his liking.
the reigning champion of on Wednesday. spot. last July before the semifi- Soon, McDonald was up
the tournament, he did not McDonald has never been I hope we delivered.” nals because of a torn ab- a set. Then he went up a
want to leave the court via past the fourth round at a Seeded men who won dominal muscle and also break right away in the
a mid-match retirement. major tournament. In his included No. 3 Stefanos dealt with a problem with second.
He said the hip had been lone previous matchup Tsitsipas, No. 6 Felix Auger- rib cartilage in 2022. After one point in that set,
bothering him for a couple against Nadal, at the 2020 Aliassime, No. 7 Daniil Med- Nadal’s exit drains the tour- Nadal showed real signs
of days, but it was never French Open, McDon- vedev the runner-up to nament of yet more star of trouble. He squatted
as bad as it became on ald won a total of just four Nadal last year and to No- power. In addition to his behind the baseline and
Wednesday. Nadal was games in a lopsided loss. vak Djokovic in 2021 — No. absence and Alcaraz’s, placed his racket down on
not sure exactly what the “He kicked my butt,” Mc- 15 Jannik Sinner and No. 16 2022 Wimbledon runner-up the court.
nature of the injury was, Donald recalled Wednes- Frances Tiafoe. Nick Kyrgios pulled out be- Then he went over and
saying that he will have day. “I told him, ‘You’re going to cause his left knee needs leaned on a sign, prompt-
medical tests to determine This result overshadowed be in a position to win to- arthroscopic surgery, four- ing Veljovic to ask whether
if it has to do with a muscle, everything else going on day. You can win today,” time Grand Slam champi- Nadal was OK.
joint or cartilage. in Melbourne, of course, Tiafoe said about fellow on Naomi Osaka is off the Nadal watched a couple
“’It’s never over until it’s on a day that persistent American McDonald. “Sort tour while she is pregnant, of serves off McDonald’s
over’ type thing. He didn’t rain pushed back the start of seeing how he feels, I’m two-time major champ Si- racket fly past him, then
even want to roll over and of play on all but the three happy for Mackie. mona Halep is serving a was checked on by the
quit. He kept fighting un- courts with retractable ‘GOAT wins’ don’t come provisional doping ban trainer.
til basically the end, even roofs until after 5 p.m. local easy. Something to tell his and Venus Williams is hurt. While the match would
though he maybe didn’t time. grandkids one day, and That is all on top of this: The proceed, it essentially was
have all his game,” said That meant some play- you have to be happy for 2023 edition of the Austra- over right then and there.q
McDonald, a 27-year-old ers most notably, No. 1 that guy.” lian Open is the first Grand