Points won by each set: | 31-40, 41-38, 31-21 |
Points won directly behind the serve:
30 % Zeballos – 29 of 96
25 % Nadal – 27 of 106
Shocking outcome, even considering the circumstances – Nadal’s first tournament in seven months! The 27-year-old Zeballos [73] had played only one ATP final before, so sharing the court with the greatest clay-court player of all time, it was already a privilege for him. He rose to the occasion serving very well, however, everyone could expect a straight sets win for Nadal almost to the end of the 2nd set. The crucial moment of it came as the Spaniard led 4:3* (30/0) – Zeballos got a point with a lucky net-cord after a backhand slice. From that moment on, the Argentine began to play exceptionally well from the backhand side. Nadal [5] put himself near to the title anyway, at 5:4 (30/15) – the underdog delivered a couple of good serves then. At 6-all in the tie-break, Zeballos played his best backhand on that day, off Nadal’s first serve. No breaks of serve in the first two sets, yet two breaks to open the 3rd. Nadal paid the price for the lack of matches. From 4-all he couldn’t win a point and after 2 hours 47 minutes, Zeballos celebrated the victory of his life on the back. “It’s a dream for me,” said Zeballos. “To be able to play a final against Nadal was already good enough for me. It’s a moment that will stay in my memory for the rest of my life.”
Zeballos’ route to his lone title:
1 Diego Schwartzman 1-6, 6-2, 6-2
2 Pablo Andujar 6-3, 6-3
Q Albert Ramos 6-1, 5-7, 7-6(6)
S Carlos Berlocq 6-3, 7-6(4)
W Rafael Nadal 6-7(2), 7-6(6), 6-4
# Zeballos served thrice to stay in the tournament (once vs Ramos, twice vs Nadal – in both those matches he was two points away from defeat).
Points won by each set: | 31-40, 41-38, 31-21 |
Points won directly behind the serve:
30 % Zeballos – 29 of 96
25 % Nadal – 27 of 106
Shocking outcome, even considering the circumstances – Nadal’s first tournament in seven months! The 27-year-old Zeballos [73] had played only one ATP final before, so sharing the court with the greatest clay-court player of all time, it was already a privilege for him. He rose to the occasion serving very well, however, everyone could expect a straight sets win for Nadal almost to the end of the 2nd set. The crucial moment of it came as the Spaniard led 4:3* (30/0) – Zeballos got a point with a lucky net-cord after a backhand slice. From that moment on, the Argentine began to play exceptionally well from the backhand side. Nadal [5] put himself near to the title anyway, at 5:4 (30/15) – the underdog delivered a couple of good serves then. At 6-all in the tie-break, Zeballos played his best backhand on that day, off Nadal’s first serve. No breaks of serve in the first two sets, yet two breaks to open the 3rd. Nadal paid the price for the lack of matches. From 4-all he couldn’t win a point and after 2 hours 47 minutes, Zeballos celebrated the victory of his life on the back. “It’s a dream for me,” said Zeballos. “To be able to play a final against Nadal was already good enough for me. It’s a moment that will stay in my memory for the rest of my life.”
Zeballos’ route to his lone title:
1 Diego Schwartzman 1-6, 6-2, 6-2
2 Pablo Andujar 6-3, 6-3
Q Albert Ramos 6-1, 5-7, 7-6(6)
S Carlos Berlocq 6-3, 7-6(4)
W Rafael Nadal 6-7(2), 7-6(6), 6-4
# Zeballos served thrice to stay in the tournament (once vs Ramos, twice vs Nadal – in both those matches he was two points away from defeat).