adminINDIAN WELLS. — Defending champions Rafael Nadal and Maria Sharapova suffered shock third-round exits on Monday at the Indian Wells ATP Masters and WTA hardcourt tennis tournament.Ukraine’s 31st-ranked Alexandr Dolgopolov ended world number one Nadal’s run of eight straight trips to the semi-finals or better at Indian Wells with 6-3, 3-6, 7-6 (7/5) triumph.
Dolgopolov notched his first career win over Nadal after five prior defeats – including a loss to the Spaniard in the claycourt final at Rio de Janeiro two weeks ago.
Serving for the match at 5-3 in the third, Dolgopolov was broken at love with a double fault on break point.
Even then, however, he said he knew he was playing well enough to win.
“The point was just not to get too nervous,” he said. “I knew he’s going to make me play that game and not miss much, and I just gave it away. That was all on me.
“I just tried to forget about that and come back.”
In the tiebreaker, Dolgopolov thought he’d sewn it up with an ace on his first match point, but Nadal challenged and the ball was ruled out.
“I thought, ‘You’ve got to be kidding me,’” Dolgopolov said. “I was thinking he’s going to challenge because I didn’t really raise my hands up or anything after that ace because I knew it was close and I wasn’t sure it was on the line.” — AFP.
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