Pablo Carreno Busta reflects on Rafael Nadal's decision to skip US Open

World No. 27 Pablo Carreno Busta admitted it was hard to find positives after probably the most disappointing defeat of his career. 

Carreno Busta was a set away from making his maiden Grand Slam final at the US Open before No. 5 seed Alexander Zverev stormed back to win 3-6 2-6 6-3 6-4 6-3. 

"Well, is tough to say now, no,  something positive after lose this match, after lose this opportunity," Carreno Busta said.

"But for sure these weeks were amazing, no? I play really good level. I won doubles in Cincinnati. I made a semifinals here. I know that is a good result, is a good performance, but now in this moment is tough to assimilate the opportunity that I lose today."

Carreno Busta suggested the third set was the key.

Well, is true that he plays better in the third set. He start to serve better, to don't make the mistakes. In this moment with two sets up is when you need to win the match, when you need to go for it to try to do it, to continue playing aggressive. Maybe I didn't do it. Was the problem for me," Carreno Busta added.

Carreno Busta didn't want to get too much into Rafael Nadal US Open decision

Carreno Busta will now try to refocus as he is set to travel to Europe for the upcoming big clay events.

"Yeah, well, we don't have enough time to now change the surface and play at 100% in Rome. But I will try to do it my best, no? Tomorrow we'll leave. We take the flight in the afternoon. We expect to arrive to Rome on Monday morning, I think, or Sunday morning.

"We have to stay, like, 24 hours at the hotel in quarantine. We start to practice probably on Monday evening or Tuesday. I think that I have a bye on first round, so that's good news, to prepare the match probably on Wednesday or Thursday.

"But is important that I make the semifinals here. That's why I don't have enough time to prepare Rome."

19-time Grand Slam champion Nadal decided not to play the US Open over coronavirus concerns.

"He decide to don't come and prepare Rome and Roland Garros. Is good decision, no? If he take the decision to come here, also is a good decision," Carreno Busta said when asked if it was the right decision made by Nadal.

"I am not the person to say if is good or not to come here or not. I think for me was good decision to come to play to the U.S. because we know that there are risk, but we need to start in one moment."

from Tennis World USA https://ift.tt/3hynqsh