On March 21, Beijing time, the 2022 ATP 1000 Indian Wells Masters has ended the competition for the men's singles final. The 20th seed and native Tyler Fritz dropped two straight sets to sweep the in-form No. 4 seed Rafael Nadal of Spain, 6-3, 7-6 (5). Nadal's 20-game winning streak in the 2022 season also ended, and the strong heart and tenacious perseverance that Nadal showed in the second set were also moving, and the scene was somewhat tragic.
Nadal and Fritz had previously met once in the 2020 Acapulco final, when Nadal won 2-0. But now, instead of the past, the state of the two has changed differently. Nadal has been fighting for days, with poor physical strength and injuries, don't forget that Nadal is about to turn 36, while Fritz is only 24 years old, a full 12 years old.
In the first set, Nadal, who was not in form, lost two serves and quickly fell behind 0-4. Despite Nadal's struggle to catch up, he was unable to stop Fritz's strong attack, and he also suffered a break in the 9th set, which had to be saved, and could only sigh and lose the first set 3-6.
Before the start of the second set, Nadal applied to leave the court for treatment. Back pain is also a constraint on Nadal's play. This is not the first time Nadal has been treated, and it has been seen in previous games. It shows that Nadal's physical condition is indeed not good.
After that, the two saved their own serves, and the score alternately rose, and even once played 6 draws. The game entered the rush seven stage. Nadal's tenacious struggle in the face of adversity and his desire to win touched every fan who supported Nadal.
In the seventh set, Nadal once took a 5-4 lead, but Fritz then scored three consecutive points to win the seventh victory 7-5, ending the season's unbeaten Nadal. Fritz became the first American to win a cup here in 21 years, and it was Agassi who won the title before. The victory was also the first Masters of Fritz's career.
Strictly speaking, Fritz's level is still slightly inferior to Nadal's, so why can he beat Nadal? In fact, it is mainly the disadvantage of Nadal's age, the trouble of injury, the continuous conquest of the 2022 season, and the lack of physical fitness.
Imagine if Fritz had reached the age of 36, would he have been able to compete at such a high level? In fact, the alternation of the old and the new is also the law of natural competition. Nadal dragged the game into the seventh in a state of exhaustion, and his spirit was invaluable. The God of War does not die, and the spirit never withers.
We appreciate Nadal's tenacity and intransigence and congratulate Fritz on winning his first Masters title.
Many people originally expected Nadal to win and equal Djokovic's record of 37 Masters titles, but this dream can only be realized later. Now Nadal can rest for a while, and there is no general in the world who does not lose the battle. I hope that I can recuperate well and recover my physical strength in these few days. Concentrate on preparing for clay events and the most important French Open. 【Text/Fighting Jianghu】