Day

For a brief stretch on Thursday, Rafael Nadal looked every bit of a weary 37-year-old player nearing retirement. Struggling to produce pace off both sides with his groundstrokes, committing an uncharacteristically high number of unforced errors and unable to stay in rallies, Nadal dropped the first set of his first-round match at the Italian Open against Belgian qualifier Zizou Bergs. Then the fist-pumping, virtually-unbeatable-on-clay, 22-time Grand Slam champion version of Nadal emerged, and the Spaniard rallied for a 4-6, 6-3, 6-4 triumph before an adoring crowd in what will likely be his final tournament at the Foro Italico. Nadal was playing only his […]