By Richard Pagliaro | Saturday, March 12, 2022
Rafael Nadal rallied from a 2-5 deficit in the final set and roared through the final five points subduing Sebastian Korda 6-2, 1-6, 7-6(4) to remain undefeated.
Photo credit: Getty
Lashing drives down both lines, Sebastian Korda had a reeling Rafael Nadal right where he wanted him down a double break in the decisive set.
Then the 21-year-old Korda blinked and Nadal realized revision.
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An adrenalized Nadal hijacked closing time roaring back for a rousing 6-2, 1-6, 7-6(3) triumph over Korda in an Indian Wells thriller.
The Australian Open champion unleashed the passion and extended the perfection raising his record to a superb 16-0—the best start to any season in his illustrious career.
"I thought I was lost today... and in Australia, very similar feeling. But that not means that I going to keep trying or keep fighting, that's all," Nadal told the media in Indian Wells. "Even if I think I going to lose the match, my mindset before returning that 5-2 game is, Okay, I am playing bad, I had two breaks, but even if I going to lose, I going to try to finish the match having some better feelings.
"So I need to fight to find these better feelings in that last game. I played a little bit better. He had some mistakes. Then with 5-3, if you are able to save that game, 5-4, you never know what can happen. 5-2, is very difficult to come back, honestly. Two breaks is very unusual."
Tangerine top soaked with sweat, Nadal looked gimpy at times in the final set, sailed some returns and committed an uncharacteristic eight double faults as he faced Korda’s crackling returns dancing near his feet.
Through the stress storm, an unwavering Nadal remained committed to his comeback cause streaking through five straight points in the tiebreaker to close a dramatic two-and-a-half hour battle between friends who practiced together on Tuesday before the BNP Paribas Open draw was revealed.
Twice, the 38th-ranked Korda served for the match—at 5-2 and 5-4—but Nadal continued taking his cracks delivering a pair of stunning running backhand passes that helped him level after 10 games.
The finish lined loomed clearly, but Korda’s forehand was flying on him down the stretch and Nadal shrewdly jammed the 6’5” American with body serves in the breaker to create closure of his own.
A candid Korda owned the pain of letting this opportunity slip, but showed the perspective to draw positives from his ability to command the center of the court against the former world No. 1.
"Yeah, it sucks. But it is what it is," Korda said. "I mean, yeah, I played a really good match, brought out the best in me, put him in a tough situation.
"But he does what he does best and always comes back and fights. Yeah, I mean, it sucks, but overall very happy."
This rousing revival was reminiscent of Nadal's 2016 Indian Wells comeback win over Alexander Zverev when the Spaniard saved a match point and powered through 15 of the last 16 points and five straight games to complete a 6-7 (8), 6-0, 7-5 resurrection win.
Three-time Indian Wells champion Nadal had the stadium rocking today and will try to continue his season-long roll when he plays Dan Evans next.
The 27th-seeded Briton burst through the final 10 games dismissing Federico Coria 6-2, 6-0.
Facing his tennis hero, Korda was over-ambitious and inaccurate at the outset. Korda missed four first serves in a row and misfired on a few forehands as Nadal opened the match breaking at 15.
Clad in Denver Broncos colors orange and blue, Nadal confirmed the break at 30 for 2-0.
A jittery Korda continued to search for his first serve and Nadal took full advantage. Korda couldn’t clear net on a couple of groundstrokes as Nadal broke again for 3-0 after 11 minutes. Korda stamped a love hold to get on the scoreboard after 18 minutes.
The 35-year-old Spaniard dodged a couple of break points, including carving out a clever drop shot, denying the first pressure on his serve to plow through a hold for 5-1.
Nadal packed up the opening set in 38 minutes.
After a sloppy first set start, Korda flipped the script to start the second. The lanky American dug out of a love-30 deficit, aided by some surprising Nadal missed returns off second serves, to hold. Korda asserted his aggression coaxing Nadal into a netted forehand to break for a 2-0 lead.
Landing his first serve with more frequency, Korda combated a break point in the fifth game forging a feisty hold for 4-1.
As the set progressed it was Nadal looking more unsettled on serve. A meek double fault and a series of crackling deep returns tested Nadal. Korda slid into a slick drop volley winner for a break point in the sixth game.
The Australian Open champion responded torching a 122 mph ace down the T only to bounce his second double fault of the game off the tape to face another break point. Korda crushed a massive 98 mph forehand strike down the line breaking for 5-1.
When the 13-time Roland Garros champion sprayed a forehand wide, Korda had his third straight game to snatch the second set and force a final set after one hour, 16 minutes.
Burned by the Korda backhand return, a nervous Nadal sailed a seconds serve long to face a break point in the fifth game. Nadal knocked a serve right into Korda’s right hip to save it with a “vamos!”
Typically, Nadal gains tremendous traction playing his twisting topspin forehand crosscourt into the right-hander’s backhand wing. Korda’s two-hander was lethal for stretches of the second and third sets.
Turning his hips and shoulders into a smooth backhand crosscourt, Korda earned another break point. The depth of Korda’s return forced Nadal to dig out a tricky reply. Korda pounced blistering a diagonal forehand off the sideline to break for 3-2.
Pressed to 30-all in the ensuing game, Korda came up big. Lasering a forehand crosscourt—his 21st winner—for game point, Korda lashed a serve down the T confirming the break for 4-2.
Comeback hopes were unraveling for the undefeated Spaniard who slid a forehand into the bottom of the net and skipped his sixth double fault off the tape to face triple break point. Nadal saved one break point but slapped his seventh double fault to donate another break and the 5-2 lead to Korda.
Failing to close in his first shot to serve out the match, Korda saw Nadal thump his fifth ace to close to 4-5.
Stepping up to serve for the biggest win of his career again, Korda was victimized by a pair of brilliant backhand passes from the stubborn Spaniard. Nadal lifted a lob Korda could not handle for break point. A fired up Nadal scored his second straight break to level after 10 games.
A scorching Korda return put him up 3-2 in the tiebreaker, then Nadal took charge streaking through five points in a row. A body serve and a biting serve down the T followed by a short forehand gave Nadal three match points. He needed only one closing a furious fightback to improve his Indian Wells record to 55-10.