Nadal suffers injury scare as he downs Almagro
NEW YORK (Reuters) – Rafael Nadal battled through the pain barrier to beat fellow Spaniard Nicolas Almagro 7-5 6-4 6-4 and reach the fourth round of the U.S. Open on Sunday.
The Spaniard, who was sidelined for with tendinitis in both knees during June and July, suffered another setback on a Arthur Ashe Stadium when he received treatment for what television commentators said was “a right abdominal muscle injury he first suffered in Cincinnati.”
At 2-1 down in the third set, Nadal lay flat on his back as one of the tournament medics sprayed and taped his stomach. After resuming play, the third seed grimaced on several occasions as he poked the afflicted area between points.
Despite the injury, Nadal hung on to beat his childhood friend Almagro, sealing the match with a scorching backhand to end an entertaining 15-shot rally.
“I will try my best to recover for my next match,” the 23-year-old said in a courtside interview.
“It’s a special motivation to come and play my best when you come back from an injury.”
Nadal, who needs the U.S. Open title to complete his collection of grand slam titles, will face either French 13th seed Gael Monfils or Argentina’s Jose Acasuso.
(Reporting by Pritha Sarkar, editing by Steve Ginsburg)
