TORONTO (AP) – Nakaiwas si Rafael Nadal na maging biktima ng teen-age ‘giant killer’ na si Stefanos Tsitsipas nang makamit ang kampeonato – ika 80th career title – sa Toronto Masters nitong Linggo (Lunes sa Manila).
Ginapi ni Nadal ang Greek youngster, nagdiwang ng kanyang ika-20 kaarawan, 6-2, 7-6 (7/4) sa larong tumagal ng isang oras at 45 minuto.
Nahila ng 32-anyos Spaniard ang record sa 33rd trophy sa elite Masters level at ika-80 sa kabuuan ng career. Ngunit, malabong makamit niya ang ika-81 sa susunod na Cincinnati Open.
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“Will I play in Cincinnati? I can’t answer to you right now,” pahayag ni Nadal sa media conference.
Bago ang laban, hinandugan ng birthday song ng mga tagahanga si Tsitsipas, umarangkada sa torneo matapos patalsikin ang apat na players na kabilang sa Top 10.
“It’s been an amazing week for me,” pahayag ng Greek star. “This trophy means a lot after playing my first Masters 1000 final.
“Rafa is amazing, he never cracks. He will always grab you like a bulldog and he will always make you suffer on the court. He was (once) normal like all of us, and he managed to become this beast, this monster that he is today. That’s how you feel when you play against him,” aniya.
