Rafael Nadal stunned by Lukas Rosol in the second round – Wimbledon Championships 2012
Czech Republic’s Lukas Rosol captured the biggest victory of his career, as he upset last year’s finalist and current world number two, Rafael Nadal, in the second round at the Wimbledon Championships on Thursday.
Rosol survived the thrashing in the fourth set and produced some unbelievable tennis in the decider to beat one of the title favourites in five sets 6-7(9), 6-4, 6-4, 2-6, 6-4 after three hours and 18 minutes.
Ranked 100th in the world, the Czech had never beaten a top-10 player before in his career. The 6ft 5in tall player had never won a tour level match on grass courts prior to this season.
On the other hand, since losing to the then world number 106, Nicolas Mahut of France, at the 2007 AEGON Championships, Nadal has lost to the inferior-ranked opponent on Thursday. This second round defeat was Nadal’s earliest loss
at a Grand Slam in the last seven years.
Coming back to the latest match, Nadal drew the first blood, breaking Rosol in the fifth game to move ahead 3-2 but the Czech did not take much time to strike back, equalising the proceedings at 3-3. The rest of the set went with
the serves, taking the score to 6-6 and forcing a tie-breaker. There was a severe fight between both players after that but Nadal grabbed two points in a row at the end to capture it 7-6(9).
Rosol did not get de motivated and came out firing in the second set, snatching a break in the very first game and capitalising on it to claim it 6-4.
The Czech continued to dominate with the help of his blistering serves and forehands, hitting a blow to the two-time former champion in the third game of the third set and maintaining the advantage till the end to win 6-4.
Nadal showed his class in the fourth set, allowing the Czech to claim just two games till the end and triumphing 6-2.
Rosol took his game to a new level in the decider, as he hit his serves and shots so forcefully that Nadal seemed helpless. The Czech claimed breakthrough in the opening game and held his following serve to gain a 2-0 lead. Rosol
did not allow the 11-time Grand Slam winner to stage a comeback, closing it 6-4.
The Czech looked like the happiest person in the world after achieving this feat. He said, “Today I was somewhere else and I'm really happy for this. Still, I cannot find the words. I still can't believe it. It's like a dream for
me.”
The 26-year-old added, “Before the last game, I was not sure if I will be shaking or not because it was the first time against Rafa and the first time also in Wimbledon Centre Court. You never know what to expect, so it was not
easy, and I survived.”
Rosol will now lock horns with Germany’s 27th seeded player, Philipp Kohlschreiber, in the third round.
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