Rafael Nadal squanders three match points in Brisbane International defeat against Jordan Thompson
By George Ramsay, CNN
(CNN) — Rafael Nadal’s first singles competition since returning from injury ended in a riveting quarterfinal defeat against Australian Jordan Thompson at the Brisbane International on Friday.
The Spaniard, playing in his first singles event in almost a year, won the first set and had three match points in the second before Thompson mounted an impressive comeback, eventually triumphing 5-7 7-6 6-3 in a tight encounter.
The match lasted close to three-and-a-half hours and it was almost midnight in Brisbane when Thompson won an epic 33-shot rally – the longest of the match – to complete a thrilling victory, much to the delight of the home fans who had stayed late into the evening.
Nadal was making his first quarterfinal appearance since Wimbledon in 2022 and had already faced Thompson in a doubles games on Sunday. The 29-year-old was also the winner on that occasion, though Friday’s victory was far more grueling for both players.
Thompson secured a break of serve at 3-3 in the first set but immediately saw his advantage disappear as Nadal broke back – first in the following game, then when Thompson drilled a backhand into the net while serving to stay in the set at 6-5.
The second set was just as close as the first, but Nadal looked to be edging nearer to victory and a spot in the final four as the match wore on. He had a match point at 5-4 and engineered another two in the tie-break.
However, the former world No. 1 failed to get over the line, spraying a forehand wide while leading 6-4 in the tie-break before Thompson took the next three points in stunning fashion – the highlight a superb, lunging volley to go 7-6 ahead.
Buoyed on by the home crowd, Thompson got fired up and secured a break of serve for a 3-1 lead in the deciding set.
Nadal, who struggled with injuries throughout 2023 and spent much of the year recovering from hip surgery, took a medical timeout soon after, but he seemed to be untroubled when he returned to the court.
The momentum remained in Thompson’s favor, and the world No. 55 completed his comeback when Nadal sent a backhand long. He will now face Grigor Dimitrov in the semifinals of the Brisbane International on Saturday, and the winner of that match will face either Holger Rune or Roman Safiullin in the final.
“To beat Rafa in Brisbane, at home in a quarterfinal, I think it’s my first semifinal on a hard court as well, so yeah, couldn’t be happier,” Thompson said in his on-court interview.
Nadal had comfortably defeated Dominic Thiem and Jason Kubler in his first two singles matches following the long injury layoff. He will be hoping to win a 23rd grand slam title at this month’s Australian Open, which begins on January 14.
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