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News ID: 46460
Publish Date : 14 November 2017 - 21:34

Nadal Pulls Out of ATP Finals After Shock Defeat to Goffin



LONDON (Xinhua) - World No. 1 Rafael Nadal withdrew from the 2017 ATP Finals after suffering a surprise defeat to seventh seed David Goffin of Belgium in his first group match at the O2 Arena.
The 16-time Grand Slam winner, who has secured the top place in the year-ending ATP Rankings, was apparently struggling but showed inspiring fighting spirit, saving four match points in the second set before losing 7-6 (5), 6-7 (4), 6-4.
Goffin, playing the ATP Finals for the second time, took command in the third set, serving for the match with a 14th ace of the match.
"I am really happy. It was such a good atmosphere tonight," Goffin said.
Nadal, who pulled out of the Paris Masters at the quarterfinals 10 days ago, had admitted before the match that his knee was "not perfect". His countryman Pablo Carreno Busta will take his place in Group Pete Sampras.
Nadal has won 75 tour-level titles, including 30 ATP World Tour Masters 1000 crowns, but he has never won the ATP Finals. He qualified for the event 13 times but competed only in eight editions.
In the day's other match, Bulgaria's Grigor Dimitrov upset fourth seed Dominic Thiem of Austria in a topsy-turvy match 6-3, 5-7, 7-5.
The sixth seed broke Thiem three times, including late in the third set as Thiem struggled to hold his nerves.
"It's not only big for me, I think it's for my whole country, for Bulgaria," said Dimitrov, who was the first player from his country to make the ATP Finals in its 48-year history.
****Rafael Nadal of Spain enters the court for his group stage match against David Goffin of Belgium in the ATP World Tour Finals at O2 Arena in London, Britain on Nov. 13, 2017. Nadal lost 1-2.