Rafael Nadal v Zizou Bergs LIVE: Tennis result and latest updates as Spaniard battles through at Italian Open
Nadal ramps up his French Open preparations and continues his injury recovery in Rome
Rafael Nadal battled past Belgian underdog Zizou Bergs to reach the second round of the Italian Open.
The Spaniard continued his preparation for the French Open later this month with a hard-fought victory in Rome, taking the decider to secure a 4-6, 6-3, 6-4 victory having fallen behind to an impressive Bergs. While clunky to start, Nadal warmed to his work and showed real stamina to outlast the 24-year-old, setting up a meeting with Hubert Hurkacz.
The 14-time Roland Garros champion has said he expects to retire after this season after he spent most of last year nursing a hip issue that required surgery but a muscle tear in Brisbane stalled his comeback in January.
The 37-year-old returned to the tour last month as the clay swing begun and he got valuable match practice in Barcelona and Madrid, with the ATP Masters 1000 event in Rome this week a third straight tournament in which to test himself.
The 22-time grand slam winner will now hope to get more sets in his legs ahead of a potential farewell to the French Open, which begins in Paris on 26 May.
Follow all the action from the Italian Open in our blog below:
Rafael Nadal 4-6, 4-1 Zizou Bergs*
It was 3-1 in the first, of course, and Zizou Bergs is sticking in there, tugging a third backhand winner of the match out of Nadal’s reach to fight back to deuce.
Advantage is his with another of those guided forehands. A long rally leaves him a couple of chances to put Nadal away but he’s unable to, a ball floating long prompting a roar of “vamos!”
Nadal closes it out.
Rafael Nadal* 4-6, 3-1 Zizou Bergs
A settler for Bergs, holding with relative ease as Nadal’s forehand malfunctions on a couple of occasions.
Rafael Nadal 4-6, 3-0 Zizou Bergs*
Nadal’s into his stride now, a loquacious forehand winner whispering to the net cord as it clears it by centimetres on its way to the corner, before two unreturnable serves.
Rafael Nadal* 4-6, 2-0 Zizou Bergs
Two more points follow in game two before Zizou Bergs finally gets on the board in the set with a well-judged inside-out forehand.
But two break points soon arrive as Nadal emerges from the longest rally of the match with the point. A double fault and the game is his - Rafa is on the charge.
Rafael Nadal 4-6, 1-0 Zizou Bergs*
Back into action, and Rafael Nadal needs all of two shots to take the first game of the second set.
Rafael Nadal 4-6, 0-0 (40-0) Zizou Bergs
A long delay here while the medical team attend to the stricken individual.
Rafael Nadal 4-6, 0-0 (40-0) Zizou Bergs
Nadal wins the first three points of the set before the players pause while an unwell spectator is attended to right at the top of one of the stands. A water bottle and some medics race up the steps - let us hope that they have just overheated and are soon on the mend.
Zizou Bergs wins opening set 6-4 against Rafael Nadal
Restlessness in the crowd and a cry from Rafael Nadal as he makes his 15th unforced error, the Spaniard seemingly struggling to stay in the sort of rally he has dominated for so long on this surface.
A backhand return is dragged wide. And a flying flicked forehand seals it in style - Zizou Bergs takes the first set 6-4!
Rafael Nadal 4-5 Zizou Bergs*
Now then. A double fault from Nadal concedes 0-30.
And that’s long, too, the Spaniard erring on his forehand.
Three break points: an ace up the centre; but a double fault and the game is Zizou Bergs’! He’ll serve for the opening set.
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