In the quarter-finals of the Brisbane International on Friday, Australia’s Jordan Thompson staged an impressive comeback by saving three match points against the returning Rafael Nadal, resulting in a thrilling late-night match.
The Australian prevailed 5-7, 7-6 (8-6), 6-3 in a battle that stretched three hours and 25 minutes and finished just shy of midnight.
Thompson made a comeback in the second set and then dominated the third set, ultimately winning the match when Nadal hit his backhand too far during the longest rally of the match.
Nadal, who had to pause the match to address discomfort in his previously injured hip, approached Thompson at the net and hugged him.
Thompson expressed that he looked up to him as a role model during his childhood.
“It was a meaningful experience to play on the court together again, and defeating him gave me a completely different feeling.”
The win by the 29-year-old Sydney native marks a successful week for Australian men, following Alex de Minaur’s win against world number one Novak Djokovic in the United Cup on Wednesday.
Thompson expressed amazement at the performance of Australian players in their home country, defeating notable opponents. He believes this is beneficial for the country.
Thompson’s upcoming objective is to face the second-ranked and former third-ranked player, Grigor Dimitrov, on Saturday night in order to secure a spot in the final on Sunday. Their opponent will either be the top-seeded Dane Holger Rune or the skilled Russian Roman Safiullin.
Nadal showed impressive performance upon his comeback from a hip injury that kept him off the court for almost a year. He defeated former US Open winner Dominic Thiem and Australian player Jason Kubler in consecutive sets.
However, in his second consecutive match, the 37-year-old Spaniard was defeated by Thompson’s sharp return skills and knack for hitting short angles, especially on the backhand side.
Thompson takes pride in defeating former world No 1 Murray, and he also achieved victory over world No 3 Stefanos Tsitsipas last year. However, he considers this win just as meaningful.
Thompson stated that he is undoubtedly one of the greatest of all time, but he also feels pressure when playing at home.
He has the ability to defeat his opponents, which can be intimidating.
“You must bring it to him.”
It is futile to step onto the court with a defeatist mindset. When I faced him at the French Open, that is exactly how it felt.
After undergoing hip surgery in June, Nadal experienced discomfort in his upper left leg and left the court to seek medical attention when he fell behind 4-1 in the third set. The match had already passed the three-hour mark.
If it weren’t for two unusual mistakes on set points in the previous set, he could have sealed it earlier.
In the 10th game, he successfully hit a backhand volley after Thompson’s serve, and in the tiebreak at 6-4, he missed a normal forehand shot, which the Australian acknowledged as one that Nadal would usually make “nine times out of ten”.
Thompson prevented his opponent from winning a third match point by executing a powerful cross-court forehand. He then used his exceptional shot-making abilities to secure victory in two extended rallies, ultimately winning the second set after 83 minutes.
Thompson, currently ranked 55th globally, is poised to re-enter the top 50 and has the potential to rise to the top 40 with a victory in the tournament.
