Rafael Nadal, the top seed and defending champion of the Australian Open, has been defeated in the second round by American player Mackenzie McDonald. Nadal took a medical timeout during the match and was unable to continue due to an injury. Despite his efforts, he was unable to finish the match. This result ends Nadal’s defense of his title.
Rafael Nadal dropped the opening set of the match against Mackenzie McDonald due to a high level of play from McDonald and some unforced errors from Nadal. Nadal did show signs of improvement in the second set, but was forced to retire from the match after experiencing pain in his left hip. He called for the trainer at 3-5 in the second set, and left the court for treatment.
Despite the injury, Rafael Nadal tried to continue playing and pushed Mackenzie McDonald to serve out the second set at 5-4. However, his movement was severely affected by the injury, and he was not able to perform at his usual level. In the third set, Nadal hit some winners off his serve and forehand, but McDonald was able to take advantage of Nadal’s injury and push him around the court. At 5-all, McDonald broke Nadal’s serve and then went on to serve out the match, resulting in a big upset and a victory for McDonald.
Nadal vs McDonald: Match Stats
| Nadal | Match Stats | McDonald |
|---|---|---|
| 6 | Aces | 14 |
| 2 | Double Faults | 2 |
| 62% | 1st serve win percentage | 68% |
| 49% | 2nd serve win percentage | 63% |
| 2/4 | Break points won | 5/8 |
| 42 | Total winners | 42 |
| 31 | Unforced errors | 22 |
| 90 | Total points won | 107 |
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