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ATP tournament: Poland’s Hurkacz secures historic win over Spanish legend Nadal

Poland’s seventh-seeded Hubert Hurkacz claimed victory over Spanish tennis legend Rafael Nadal in the second round of the ATP Masters 1000 tennis tournament on the clay courts of Rome. It was the first clash between the players.

The Pole showcased a top-tier performance on Saturday, securing a victory over Nadal at the Internazionali BNL d’Italia. With a commanding 6-1, 6-3 win, Hurkacz marked the end of Nadal’s remarkable career at the Rome ATP Masters 1000. Hurkacz had a tough start, saving five break points in a long opening game. Then, he took control with strong serving and shots. Ranked ninth in the PIF ATP Rankings, he won his first-ever match against Nadal in just 93 minutes. It was also his first victory at the Foro Italico since 2020.

The 37-year-old Nadal is one of the most successful tennis players in history, winner of 22 Grand Slam tournaments, winner of, among others, 10th edition of the tournament in Rome. However, the Spaniard is at the end of his career and has been struggling with injuries in recent months. As a result, he is currently only 305th in the world ranking. Hurkacz, who is 10 years younger, is ninth in this ranking.
After enduring a challenging three-set match against Zizou Bergs on Thursday, Nadal elevated his performance in the initial stages against Hurkacz. Yet, his efforts proved insufficient to halt the momentum of the Pole, who successfully defended all seven break points he encountered in the match, as per Infosys ATP Stats.

Hurkacz’s opponent in the third round will be the 25th seeded Argentinian Tomas Etcheverry.

Match result of the 2nd round of singles:

Hubert Hurkacz (Poland, 7) - Rafael Nadal (Spain) 6:1, 6:3.
Source: ATP, PAP, TVP World
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