By Chris Oddo | Tuesday, January 6, 2015
Rafael Nadal dropped his season-opener for the first time in ten years, falling to qualifier Michael Berrer in three sets in Doha.
Photo Source: Doha
We don’t know what type of season Rafael Nadal will have in 2015, but after today’s first-round loss to Michael Berrer in Doha, we know it won’t begin well.
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Nadal lost his season-opening match for the first time since 2004, dropping a 1-6, 6-3, 6-4 decision to the 34-year-old qualifier in one hour and 56 minutes.
Nadal, playing his first tour-level match since last October in Basel, started swiftly, racing out to a 5-0 lead before claiming the first set with the loss of only three service points.
But some opportunistic hard-hitting from Berrer enabled the German journeyman to turn things around in the second set. He broke Nadal in the fourth game to take a 3-1 lead and he was untroubled on serve for the remainder of the set.
In the third set Berrer stormed to an early break and, despite some pressure from Nadal. Berrer saved two break points while serving at 2-1, the first after stopping a point to challenge a Nadal backhand that was proved to have landed a millimeter beyond the line.
While serving for the match, Berrer showed nerves early. He started the game with a double-fault, then made a loose error to fall behind 0-30. He faced double-break point two points later, but Nadal failed to put the next two returns in play.
Berrer would face one more break point after another double-fault, but he saved it with a well-played point that ended with a smash.
Two points later another service winner saw Berrer through to his first top five win in fourteen career attempts.
Notes, Quotes, Tweets
Nadal hit 30 winners against 32 unforced errors on the match, and was 2 for 12 on break point opportunities.