eNewMexican

Nadal’s weapon, his forehand, helps him beat rival Djokovic

ROME — The heavy topspin. That lefty spin. The loopy trajectory.

Rafael Nadal’s forehand gave Novak Djokovic fits in the latest installment of the most-played rivalry in modern men’s tennis.

A whopping 26 forehand winners — 15 in the first set alone — helped Nadal to a 7-5, 1-6, 6-3 victory and a record-extending 10th Italian Open title Sunday.

Whipping forehands that produced an average of 54 revolutions per second — to Djokovic’s 45 revolutions — Nadal’s biggest weapon was in top form.

The title also re-established Nadal as the overwhelming favorite for the French Open, where the Spaniard will be aiming for an even harder-to-believe 14th title starting in two weeks.

Three forehand winners helped Nadal produce the decisive break in the third set, when Djokovic’s energy level appeared to dip.

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2021-05-17T07:00:00.0000000Z

2021-05-17T07:00:00.0000000Z

https://enewmexican.com/article/281788516952144

Santa Fe New Mexican