Nadal loses in Argentine tournament in surprising defeat

Reuters: Austrian Dominic Thiem pulled off a shock in the semi-finals of the Argentina Open on Saturday, outlasting defending champion Rafael Nadal of Spain.

The 22-year-old Thiem defeated Nadal 6-4 4-6 7-6(4) at the Buenos Aires Lawn Tennis Club in a match that took two hours and fifty minutes to complete.

Nadal, aged 29, is the winner of 14 Grand Slam championships in his career.

“I didn’t play poorly today. I did some good things. I think I was lacking consistency. I had some good moments, some winning shots. But I was making too many errors, but it’s okay. I was close to winning. I played hard till the end, it wasn’t to be, and I will move forward,” he said during a post-match news conference.

The Majorca native appeared frustrated at times on the court, with the high temperatures appearing to affect him.

“It’s been a challenge adapting to the conditions that have been a little bit extreme, and I feel a little more tired than usual on the court. I think I am lacking consistency in my game, and I know that Rio is not going to go better than this, and so I have to adapt,” he said.

Thiem will face Nicolas Almagro in Sunday’s (February 14) final, after he defeated fellow-Spaniard David Ferrer 6-4 7-5.