Nadal advances after pulling off comeback win in first round of Italian Open

For a brief stretch on Thursday, Rafael Nadal looked every bit of a weary 37-year-old player nearing retirement.

Nadal was playing only his 10th match this year after missing nearly all of 2023 with a hip injury that required surgery. He’s hoping to be competitive one last time at the French Open, where he is the record 14-time champion. Rome, where he is a record 10-time champion, is his last big warm-up tournament before Roland Garros starts on May 26.

Then at 4-4, Nadal double-faulted twice and was broken again to give the 108th-ranked Bergs a 5-4 lead and a chance to serve out the set.During the first game of the second set, the match was briefly suspended when a spectator in the stands required medical treatment. That allowed Nadal to chat with Carlos Moya, his coach.

During the third set, Nadal managed to win a point after he fell to the red clay, quickly getting up to resume the rally and then producing a delicate drop-shot winner. Then he blasted a forehand cross-court winner to break for a 3-1 lead and unleashed a double-clutch fist pump.

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