Nadal Beats Fritz in Fifth-Set Tiebreaker to Reach Wimbledon Semifinal, Keep Slam Hopes Alive

Rafael Nadal overcame an abdominal injury, a 2-1 set deficit, and some inspired play from Taylor Fritz to beat the American and win his Wimbledon quarterfinal match on Wednesday.

Nadal triumphed in a 10-point tiebreaker to finally put the match away by a 3-6, 7-5, 3-6, 7-5, 7-6 (10-4) score.

Nadal to face Kyrgios in Wimbledon semifinal

The victory moved Nadal into the Wimbledon semifinals for the eighth time in his career.

While Nadal gutted his way through the contest, he said afterward that there were times he felt he might not finish the match.

“I am a little bit tired to talk about my body,” Nadal said after the match. “But I am in the middle of the tournament and I have to keep going, no? All respect for the rest of the opponents. I am just trying my best every single day. For the moment I am healthy enough to keep going and fight for the things that I want.”

Nadal will face the unseeded Nick Kyrgios in the next round. Kyrgios continued his deepest-ever run in a Grand Slam by reaching the Wimbledon semifinal with a 6-4, 6-3, 7-6 (7-5) win over Cristian Garin.

Kyrgios has proven to be one of the most talented players on tour. However, his personality and antics on the court have kept him from reaching the elite level, and haven’t made him popular among fans. He also currently faces allegations that he assaulted an ex-girlfriend.

“I thought my ship had sailed,” Kyrgios said afterward. “Obviously, I didn’t go about things great early in my career and may have wasted that little window. But just really proud of the way I’ve just come back out here.”

Halep continues delayed title defense

Kyrgios is 1-1 historically at Wimbledon against Nadal, and with the 22-time Grand Slam champion suffering at the moment, it could be anyone’s match on Friday. DraftKings Sportsbook lists Kyrgios as the -145 favorite over the ailing Nadal (+115).

“I hope to be ready to play,” Nadal said of the semifinal. “I need to be at 100% to keep having chances and that’s what I’m going to try to do.”

In the women’s draw, 2019 Wimbledon champion Simona Halep advanced to the semifinal by beating Amanda Anisimova 6-2, 6-4 on Wednesday. Halep is playing in her first Wimbledon since winning the title, as she was injured in 2021 and organizers canceled the 2020 tournament due to COVID-19.

“I struggled a lot last year,” Halep said afterward. “I’m very emotional right now because it means a lot to be back in the semis.”

Halep will now face No. 17 seed Elena Rybakina, who beat Ajla Tomljanovic 4-6, 6-2, 6-3 on Wednesday. This marks the first time Rybakina has reached a Grand Slam semifinal. She made it to the fourth round in her only other appearance in the Wimbledon main draw last year. Rybakina says she’s looking forward to playing Halep, who won their last two matchups in three sets each.

“In the end, I just know that I have to play until the end because she’s a great fighter,” Rybakina said. “No matter the score, just keep focusing on my game, on my plan. Just be more stable and also confident in some moments.”

Halep is a -340 favorite over Rybakina (+265) in their semifinal. DraftKings lists Halep as the +110 favorite to win Wimbledon, with Ons Jabeur at +125.