On this day: Rafael Nadal edges Fabio Fognini to win Hamburg crown

Rafael Nadal had to skip the Paris Masters and the ATP Finals in 2014 due to appendicitis, undergoing surgery on November 3. The Spaniard could not find the rhythm after lifting the trophy at Roland Garros that year, struggling with form and injuries and not making the best start of 2015. Losing in the Australian Open and Indian Wells quarter-final, Rafa failed to deliver his best tennis on clay as in the previous decade, missing the title during the spring swing for the first time since 2004 and barely remaining in the top-10. Nadal bounced back in Stuttgart and won the first ATP title on grass in five years before experiencing painful losses at Queen's and Wimbledon. The Spaniard took a couple of weeks off and entered Hamburg at the end of July, his first post-Wimbledon ATP event on clay since Stuttgart 2007 and the first appearance in Hamburg since winning the title in 2008.

Rafa did not make a good start in his first match since that shocking Wimbledon loss to Dustin Brown, losing the opening set to Fernando Verdasco before storming over the compatriot after dropping two games in sets two and three. Things were not much better in round two versus the young Czech Jiri Vesely, as Rafa suffered four breaks in a hard-fought 6-4, 7-6 victory that required two hours and 11 minutes. The former champion raised his level in the quarter-final to topple Pablo Cuevas and raced past Andreas Seppi to find himself in the title match. Rafa battled against Fabio Fognini and scored a 7-5, 7-5 victory in two hours and 34 minutes for the third title of the season and the biggest since Roland Garros a year ago. The Spaniard won 14 points more than the Italian but had to work hard to secure the triumph, fending off nine out of 14 break chances and securing seven breaks to seal the deal ahead of tie breaks or a decider.

Struggling to find form, Rafael Nadal claimed the Hamburg crown in 2015 over Fognini.

Fognini had twice as many winners as Nadal and kept the points on his racquet. Still, he sprayed 60 unforced errors to ruin his opportunities to grab at least a set. Fabio challenged Rafa in the more extended exchanges, losing ground in the quickest rallies where the Spaniard secured his victory. The opening game turned into open war, and Fognini converted the fourth break chance after 12 minutes. Rafa pulled the break back in the next one when Fabio netted a forehand, only to repeat the same mistake in game three and find himself 2-1 down. We were yet to see a hold after half an hour, as Nadal broke back for the second time in game four to level the score at 2-2. The 11th game was another marathon one, and Rafa saved a break point thanks to a perfect drop shot before stealing Fognini's serve with a return winner in the next one to take the opener 7-5 in 77 minutes!

Fabio repelled three break chances in the second set's second game but could not repeat that two games later when his forehand landed long to push Rafa 3-1 in front. Nadal squandered two game points in game five and got broken to keep Fognini alive. The Italian grabbed another break in game seven to claim three straight games and move in front. From 40-15 down in game eight, Rafa climbed back to take four consecutive points and erase the deficit before losing serve again a few minutes later and falling 5-4 down. Earning two set points on serve, Fognini squandered a massive chance to grab the set, squandering two set points and allowing Nadal to break back and lock the result at 5-5. The Spaniard had to work hard in the 11th game, saving three break points to gather boost and rattling off four straight points on the return at 6-5 to cross the finish line and celebrate the first ATP 500 title in a year and a half.

from Tennis World USA https://ift.tt/3C5MmTg