Zverev survived them and held after numerous deuces for 5-5 after 58 minutes! Nadal saved two break points in the 11th game, surviving but struggling in the tie break. Rafa took charge and created three set points on the return in game ten. Things changed in the eighth game when he made several errors to bring the Spaniard back to the positive side. The German barely missed the first serve up to that point and looked good to build the advantage. Zverev served well in the opening three service games to open a 4-2 gap and settle into a fine rhythm. Zverev was a more aggressive player, giving his 120% to stay in touch with a 21-time Major winner and forge the advantage in both sets.Īlexander Zverev had a great run at Roland Garros 2022 before an injury.Īlexander grabbed a break in the encounter's opening game after Rafa's backhand error. The Spaniard had the edge in the shortest range up to four strokes, and the German erased that deficit in the mid-range and most advanced rallies.īoth players claimed five breaks and grabbed almost half of the return points on a slow court. Two sets delivered almost 200 points, and Rafa took only four more than Alexander.

A 13-time winner survived four set points in the opener and came from 5-3 down in the second set to force another tie break before Alexander finished the match in the worst way.

It was one of the most challenging matches for Rafa in Paris, and he had to work hard to achieve a positive score at the three-hour mark. It could have been one of the most entertaining matches in Roland Garros history, with Nadal leading 7-6, 6-6 before Zverev got injured. The German left the court in the wheelchair and returned on the crunches a few minutes later to announce his retirement.

Roland garros tennis scores