Saturday, October 2, 2010

Nadal upset by Garcia-Lopez in Thailand Open semis

Nadal upset by Garcia-Lopez in Thailand Open semis

Rafael Nadal lost 2-6, 7-6 (3), 6-3 to Guillermo Garcia-Lopez in the semifinals of the 2010 Thailand Open.

“It’s a difficult loss to accept,” Nadal said. “It’s one of those matches you are going to lose once every two years.”

Garcia-Lopez delivered a string of winners and flat, wide serves that included 10 aces in a performance that astounded him.

“Everything was fantastic,” he said. “For the moment, I’m a bit shocked.”

Signs of trouble emerged in the second set when Garcia-Lopez started dictating important shots. At one stage, he whipped a shot deep to the Spaniard’s backhand and forced him to throw his racket in an unsuccessful attempt to reach the ball.

“He played a great match, especially in the third,” Nadal said. “I had a great chance to be in the final. I have to blame myself that I didn’t play aggressive when I had a chance to break. He served well on break points. I lost chance after chance.”

Garcia-Lopez rode his momentum through the third set, applying pressure and forcing errors by Nadal.

“I’ve never beaten a No. 1 player in the world,” Garcia-Lopez said. “I think this is the best victory in my career.”

Garcia-Lopez will play the final against Jarkko Nieminen, who beat Benjamin Becker 6-3, 6-2.