Four hours and 49 minutes it took Rafael Nadal to win one of the most difficult matches of his career. Thiem started the game like a steamroller, in a way to subjugate without giving any option to Nadal. 6-0 in just 20 minutes, the public of the Arthur Ashe enjoyed the game of the Austrian, but expected the reaction of the Spanish champion.
In the second set, Nadal managed to stop the austiac and kept the balance until the end of the set in which he took advantage of the first fissures in the Thiem game to make a break with 5-4 in his favor and take the set and put the tie .
The intensity of the game was enormous, Thiem dominated the points with powerful shots from the back, Nadal defended and counterattacked effectively.
In the third set, Thiem managed to get ahead and dominate the scoreboard, but Rafa Nadal has cold blood, pride and strength to overcome, he reversed the set and scored it 7-5.
Thiem seemed defeated, but the Spaniard was not able to give the lace and the set had to be decided in Tie Break, the Austrian dominated from the beginning and we had to go to the fifth set.
Two physical portents were ready to fight for a place in the semifinals in a fifth set not suitable for cardiac, the two players did not accuse fatigue, they reached incredible balls and printed great power over their punches, the equality was maintained, but it seemed that Nadal would achieve his goal, 0-40 and three balls of games ... Thiem knew how to overcome and sent the outcome to the sudden death of the fifth set. 4 hours and 30 minutes of fight without truce, the defeat would be unfair for anyone, but there must be a winner. The mental strength of Nadal was key and took the win in a game that ended with an emotional embrace between both players.
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