Sports
Rafa Nadal's hope of third Wimbledon title dashed.
Updated : Jul 11, 2017, 01:23 AM IST
French Open champion Rafael Nadal's challenge for a third Wimbledon title was ended by Luxembourg's Gilles Muller as the Spaniard succumbed 6-3 6-4 3-6 4-6 15-13 in a heart-pounding fourth-round classic on Monday.
The 31-year-old Nadal fought back from two sets down and saved four match points in a 135-minute minute fifth set in which he successfully served to stay alive nine times. At the 10th time of asking, however, and with thousands of transfixed fans watching the drama unfold on the screen on the hill and on the edge of their seats on Court One, Nadal buckled under the relentless pressure exerted by an inspired Muller.
A miss-hit forehand gave Muller two more match points and this time he finished the job as a weary Nadal went long. Sixteenth seed Muller, who served 30 aces and hit 95 winners, will play Marin Cilic in the quarter-finals.
"It's the win of his life"
— Wimbledon (@Wimbledon) July 10, 2017
- Gilles Muller celebrates a truly stunning result... #Wimbledon pic.twitter.com/kXwY8mEsrU
Class in defeat.
— Wimbledon (@Wimbledon) July 10, 2017
After a titanic contest, Rafael Nadal waits to walk off court with opponent Gilles Muller#Wimbledon #ManicMonday pic.twitter.com/1URgEVS9sG