Nadal is surprised by Müller, who reached the quarter-finals at Wimbledon

Photo: Adrian Dennis, Agence France-Presse
After 4 h 47 duel, Nadal lost against Müller.

First, Rafael Nadal has fulfilled a decline of two sets to zero. Then, he erased four match balls. However, it is not able to overcome the fifth.

After many times out of difficult situations, over a thrilling duel that lasted 4 hours 47 minutes on Monday, the leathery Spanish has suddenly failed. He has been the victim of a break in service during the 28th game of the fifth set, and was defeated at the hands of Luxembourg’s Gilles Müller, 16th head series, 6-3, 6-4, 3-6, 4-6, and 15-13 in a match of the fourth round of the International tennis from Wimbledon.

“It is difficult to tell, exactly, what has made the difference at the end, said Müller. Honestly, I have not yet realized what he has just arrived. “

Surprising defeat

This amazing defeat prolongs the shortage of Nadal on the grass of the All England Club, where he has not reached the quarter-finals in six years. The Spaniard has won two of his 15 titles in the Grand Slam on the famous centre court of Wimbledon, and participated in three other finals, including 2011. But since then, he has been eliminated in the first round (2013), second (2012, 2015) and in the fourth round (2014, 2017). It has dead-ends on the tournament in 2016.

All these defeats, with the exception of Monday, came in the face of ranked players 100es and lower. And Müller, at 34 years of age, is not necessarily a studly giants ; he had lost 22 duels consecutive against players ranked among the top five in the world. And he had not reached the quarter-finals of a Grand Slam tournament than in a single opportunity, at International of the United States in 2008.

“If I had lost this match [against Nadal], it would have been difficult to digest “, admitted to the Luxembourg.

However, the powerful service of the left-handed and his stolen compact make him a player that Nadal has also described as “not convenient” to deal with. And Müller, who had already disposed of the Spaniard at Wimbledon, in the second round, the appointment in 2005, has managed to snatch the victory even though he squandered several opportunities to end it more quickly.

Throughout the fifth set, Nadal served when he fired back at the score, and he had to save two match balls in the 10th, and two other in the 20th game. When Müller got another chance to put an end to the confrontation, he did it when Nadal sent a forehand beyond the bottom line.

“When you play a fifth set against a player such as him, the outcome often depends on a few balls, emphasized Nadal shaking his head. In fact, it has been a little better than me on a few balls. “

Nadal has had just two breaks of service in 16 attempts during the match, and was unable to convert five chances of breakage are presented to him in the fifth set, including four in the same game. It is one of the main reasons why Nadal has suffered the elimination despite an impressive ratio of 77 hits compared to only 17 unforced errors.

Müller against Cilic

In the quarter-final, Mueller will play against Marin Cilic, who qualified for the quarter-finals for the fourth year in a row earlier Monday. The Croatian, seventh head of series, has had the much easier task against the Spanish Roberto Bautista Agut, whom he defeated 6-2, 6-2, 6-2.

On the other hand, Andy Murray also qualified — for a 10th consecutive season — for the quarter-finals at Wimbledon.

The reigning champion defeated france’s Benoît Paire 7-6 (1), 6-4, 6-4 on centre court.

“I’ve done a good job up to now, has analyzed Murray. Today, I hit the ball with more aplomb than at any other match here. It satisfies me entirely. “

The favorite of the tournament will be crossing the iron with Sam Querrey, who defeated Kevin Anderson 5-7, 7-6 (5), 6-3, 6-7 (11), 6-3.

The indestructible swiss Roger Federer needed three sets to dispose of the Bulgarian Grigor Dimitrov, 6-4, 6-2, 6-4.

“I was not expecting it to be as easy as it may have appeared,” said Federer, who will seek to avenge the defeat suffered at the hands of Raonic in the semi-final, a year ago at the All England club.

Tomas Berdych has continued his road to the quarter-finals at Wimbledon for the second year in a row. The finalist of the tournament in 2010 took the measure of the Austrian Dominic Thiem 6-3, 6-7 (1), 6-3, 3-6, 6-3 on court no. 3.

Berdych will face the winner of the match between Novak Djokovic and Adrian Mannarino.

This duel, which had to be presented immediately after the one between Nadal and Müller, has been postponed to Tuesday, at noon (London time) on centre court because of the lateness of the hour.