A three-time Indian Wells champion Rafael Nadal had to dig deep at the start of this year’s campaign. Rafa earned a hard-fought 6-2, 1-6, 7-6 triumph over the young gun Sebastian Korda in two hours and 29 minutes in the second round.
Thus, Nadal avoided his earliest loss since Shanghai 2016 and remained undefeated in 2022. Korda led 5-2 in the final set and served for the victory twice before Nadal produced another impressive comeback after the Australian Open final.
Rafa won five points more than Sebastian, fending off seven out of 11 break points and losing serve four times from six chances offered to the young opponent. Korda had a massive advantage in set number two and the third set’s opening seven games, serving well and dominating with his sharp and aggressive groundstrokes.
However, he failed to deliver the finishing strike and beat his idol in front of the home crowd. There was nothing to separate them in the shortest and more extended rallies. Rafa did his best to raise his level in the closing stages, emerge at the top and move to 16-0 in 2022.
Korda netted a forehand in the encounter’s opening game and offered Nadal three break points. The Spaniard seized the second after his rival’s huge forehand mistake to build an early lead. Rafa fired a service winner in game two and grabbed another return game after Sebastian’s loose forehand for a 3-0 advantage in ten minutes.
A three-time champion placed a forehand winner in game four to extend the lead before facing two break points at 4-1. Nadal stayed calm, saved them with winners and painted a backhand down the line winner to move 5-1 in front.
Serving for the set at 5-2, the Spaniard fired a service winner to close it in 35 minutes and gain a boost.
Rafael Nadal prevailed over Sebastian Korda in Indian Wells.
Korda found the rhythm behind the initial shot in the opener’s closing stages and used it in the second part of the clash.
The American held from 30-0 down in the second set’s first game with a winner at the net. He earned a break chance in the next one after forcing Nadal’s mistake with a rock-solid backhand attack. Rafa netted a forehand to give serve away and chase the result from the early stages.
Sebastian confirmed the advantage in the third game and fended off a break chance at 3-1 with another brave attack. Dictating the pace, Korda brought the game home for another boost of confidence against his idol. Losing ground in those moments, Nadal wasted game points at 1-4 and got broken after the youngster’s cracking forehand down the line winner.
Sebastian served for the set at 5-1 and held at 30 to wrap up the set and introduce a decider after an hour and 15 minutes. Both players served well in the third set’s opening four games, and Nadal had multiple game points at 2-2.
He squandered them and experienced a break following Korda’s forehand crosscourt winner. Sebastian held after deuce in game six and extended the lead to 5-2 when Rafa hit a costly double fault. With no room for errors, the Spaniard pulled one break back in game eight when the American sprayed a backhand mistake.
Rafa held at 30 in game nine to move 4-5 behind, and Sebastian served for the victory for the second time. The American hit a wild forehand to get broken and bring Nadal back to 5-5, with the crowd in Stadium 1 witnessing more drama.
Rafa fended off a break point in game 11 in one of the crucial moments of the entire encounter. The set went into a tie break, and Nadal trailed 3-2. The American sprayed a backhand error in the sixth point and netted a terrible forehand in the next one to push the rival in front.
Nadal moved 5-3 up with a service winner and earned three match points with a forehand winner at the net. Rafa seized the first after forcing Sebastian’s mistake with a deep return to rattle off five straight points and seal the deal.
