RAFAEL NADAL AVENGED his shock 2012 Wimbledon defeat to Lukas Rosol this afternoon with a tense and hard-fought 4-6, 7-6 (8/6), 6-4, 6-4 win over the big-hitting Czech.
World number one Nadal did it the hard way, however, dropping the first set and then trailing 2-4 in the second before then having to save a set point in the tiebreaker.
But the 2008 and 2010 champion, who lost in the first round to Steve Darcis in 2013, wrapped up a place in the third round for the first time since 2011 on a third match point.
His mighty roar and extravagant fist pump at the moment of victory, which shook Centre Court to the core, spoke volumes as the hurt and humiliation of two years ago was finally vanquished. ”I don’t think in terms of revenge,” he insisted. “All matches are different. When I lost in 2012 it was because the opponent played better.
It doesn’t matter if it’s Rosol or any other player, the goal is to play as well as possible. Now I feel a little tired, there was a lot of tension but I played great towards the end.”
Caroline Wozniacki, meanwhile, was delighted to meet up with One Direction star Niall Horan at SW19. The Danish tennis ace tweeted out this picture with the Westmeath native, who was recently getting kicking lessons from his rugby heroes Ronan O’Gara and Jonny Sexton. Wozniacki takes on Croatia’s Ana Konjuh, aged only 16, in the third round of the Women’s Singles.
© AFP, 2014 with additional reporting by Patrick McCarry
