Lukas Rosol shocked
by miracle win over
Rafael Nadal
It was a victory not just deserved, however, but universally lauded, and ranks among the greatest upsets in the history of the game. Perhaps Pete Sampras losing to the 145th-ranked George Bastl in the second round on his last visit here 10 years ago comes close – but Nadal is in his pomp, not easing towards retirement.
Rosol had won only 18 matches on Tour in his whole career. Nadal had not lost at this stage of a major tournament for seven years. Yet Rosol hit 65 winners to 41, a margin so clear there can be no argument about the correctness of the result. He might never reproduce such scintillating tennis, especially that which he unleashed in an astonishing fifth set – but it was no fluke, whatever the pain Nadal felt afterwards.
"I'm not just surprised, it's a miracle for me," said Rosol, who had gone out in the qualifiers in each of his previous five visits to Wimbledon. "He's a superstar and I'm very sorry for him, but I played unbelievably well.
"Before the match I was thinking to play just three good sets. But I know that Nadal is only human. Some matches he can turn up in not very good shape. I played my best match ever. It means so much for me. It never happened to me before. I was due to play next week in Germany but I want to stay here as long as I can."
A big beast of the men's field was put through the mangle then dumped out of Wimbledon as Rafael Nadal fell at around 10.06pm to Lukas Roso, a Czech debutant who will never forget this Thursday evening in south-west London.
The best context to Rosol's achievement is found in the seven years that have passed since Nadal, seeded No2, last departed a grand slam event before the third round. The shock of the world No100 knocking out the two-time Wimbledon champion and owner of 11 major titles ranks alongside the defending champion from 2002, Lleyton Hewitt, being removed by world No203 Ivo Karlovic nine years ago in the opening round.
Before that there was also Pete Sampras – the winner of 14 slams – being taken down by George Bastl, the 145th-ranked player a year earlier on the old Court Two graveyard. The last No2 seed to exit in round two was when Marat Safin lost to Olivier Rochus in 2002.
Rosol's 65 winners to Nadal's 41 was one of the crucial statistics in the 3hr 18min match that ended in a 6-7, 6-4, 6-4, 2-6, 6-4 triumph labelled a "miracle" by Rosol, who was humble enough to offer commiserations to Nadal.
The 43-minute break for the Centre Court roof to be closed just before 9pm, when the match stood at two sets all, might have given Rosol too long a pause for consideration about what might be achieved.
Yet when play restarted the Czech was a train that kept on running over Nadal. After holding the opening service game he broke Nadal to go 2-0 up and later took the count to 4-2 with yet another emphatic ace – one of his 22 throughout.
Nadal is supposedly the alpha male in any slugfest. But Rosol's forehand shots were being sent towards the Majorcan at 93mph plus, and his was the fastest serve at 134mph. In the seventh game of the deciding set, one backhand came in at a thundering 99mph – this was followed by a lightening forehand return from Nadal's next serve to make it 30-love. A double-break would have left Nadal with no out-clause, but he clung on to pull the score back to 4-3.
This set – the set of Rosol's life – was studded with aces and menacing ground-strokes that left Nadal an impotent spectator often muttering to himself and at the umpire regarding a perceived misdemeanour by his opponent. He had also done his share midway through the contest. At a changeover, Nadal asked the umpire: "Do you think that's right? I don't know, man, but if you think that's fair just let me know."
Nadal refused to elaborate afterwards about what he thought had occurred, saying: "The bad thing of this is anything that I will say now will sound against me. So it is not the right moment for me to say what happened out there because it's going to sound an excuse, and I never want to put an excuse after a match like today. But the umpire said a few things that weren't right."
Rosol was more forthcoming. "It's OK. He wanted to take my concentration. It was in second set or third set? I knew that he will try something, but I was concentrating and was good. He talked to me a little bit. He just wanted to take my concentration.
"I was surprised that he can do it on the Centre Court Wimbledon, you know – it's like something wrong. I didn't expect it."
There was no distracting Rosol's ice-calm as he killed the fifth set and match. Ace, cross-court forehand winner, ace, forehand winner – a blistering eighth game took him to 5-3 and informed Nadal precisely how nerveless the Czech was.
This meant Nadal needed to hold serve to force his opponent to earn the win. An unforced error took Rosol to 30-15 and two points away from glory, but a net cord in Nadal's favour and the men were level in the game.
Rosol spurned the chance to finish off a shallow second serve by spooning into the net, and a wild forehand took the set to 5-4, with the native of Prerov required to hold his serve for victory.
An ace and that was 15-0, and Nadal attempted, yet again, to slow play down. But a wrong-footing forehand made it 30-love to Rosol, and he was two points from triumph. A second ace made it 40-love and with a look to the dark sky beyond the roof, Rosol strode forward to serve out.
Almost inevitably the third ace followed, and after falling to the ground Rosol rose to shake the shattered Nadal's hand, then he saluted the crowd.
Rosol's previous best performance had been against Jürgen Melzer in the second round of the French Open last year. "This is the higher one," the Czech said. "I still don't believe it a little bit."
A first-round loser in the qualification rounds for this competition in the previous five years, where did he think this seismic performance came from?
"Because I came just the day before [in the past] and I wasn't really prepared for the tournament. This year I changed and I played already in Queen's and Eastbourne," Rosol said. "If I play on grass more, I think I can get better."
How far can he go? "It's always open – it's sport. Nobody's unbeaten. Everybody can lose and everybody can win. We're just people, we're just humans," Rosol said. "Before the last game inside I'm not sure if I will be shaking or not because it was the first time against Rafa and first time also in Wimbledon Centre Court.
"You never know what to expect. So it was not easy, and I survive."
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