RAFAEL NADAL SECURED Rafael Nadal secured the 1,000th Tour-level victory of his illustrious career on Wednesday, becoming the fourth man to reach that mark with a comeback three-set win over Feliciano Lopez in the Paris Masters second round.
The 20-time Grand Slam champion, back in the French capital less than a month after winning his 13th Roland Garros title, edged out his fellow Spaniard 4-6, 7-6 (7/5), 6-4.
Nadal, whose first match win on the ATP Tour came in April 2002, is fourth on the all-time list, with Jimmy Connors leading the way on 1,274 victories, 32 more than second-placed Roger Federer.
Ivan Lendl also passed the 1,000 barrier.
Nadal was given a special presentation to celebrate his achievement after the match in a near-empty Bercy Arena, with the event being played behind closed doors after France entered its second coronavirus lockdown last week.
The 34-year-old Nadal, bidding for a first Paris Masters title, will face Jordan Thompson in the third round after the Australian beat Croatia’s Borna Coric 2-6, 6-4, 6-2.
Taking the trophy in Paris this week would see Nadal equal Novak Djokovic’s record of 36 Masters titles.
He struggled to find his rhythm for much of the match as 39-year-old Lopez served excellently, saving the first six break points he faced, but Nadal stepped it up in the second-set tie-break.
He grabbed the crucial break in the first game of the decider and then eased to victory.
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