Match report

Rafael Nadal © Tennistalk.com
ABN AMRO World Tennis Tournament
2nd round
2/21/08 1 2 3 Tot
es  Rafael Nadal 6 3 4 1
it  Andreas Seppi 3 6 6 2
Andreas Seppi © Tennistalk.com

  • Seppi Stuns Nadal; No Seeds Left in Rotterdam

    2/21/08 10:09 PM | Ricky Dimon
    Unseeded Andreas Seppi comes back from a set down to upset Rafael Nadal and advance to the quarterfinals of the ABN AMRO World Tennis Tournament in Rotterdam, Netherlands.

    Before this second-round battle concluded, Rafael Nadal was the only seeded player left standing at the ABN AMRO World Tennis Tournament.

    Now none remain. Rotterdam will be without a single seed in the quarterfinals after Seppi shocked Nadal 3-6, 6-3, 6-4 on Thursday afternoon in two hours and fourteen minutes. It is the first time since the 2006 event in Nottingham that every seed in an ATP tournament has lost prior to the quarterfinals.

    In the first set, it looked like that would not be the case. Nadal won half of Seppi's service points and he broke the Italian twice in four chances. After a routine 6-3 opening frame, it looked like Nadal had the match in hand.

    Seppi had other ideas. He put in much higher percentage of his first deliveries in the second set and lost just four points on serve. The tide also turned from the baseline. Nadal's heavy topspin forehand did not have the same effect on Seppi as it did in their two previous head-head meetings, as those came on clay with Nadal dominating both. In the second set on the indoor hard courts of Rotterdam, Seppi began stepping into the court and taking it to Nadal in groundstroke rallies. He capitalized on the one break point chance he saw in the second set to take it 6-3 and level the match.

    It was more of the same in the third set. Nadal's first-serve percentage plummeted and Seppi jumped all over his opponent's second offerings, allowing the underdog to seize a quick 5-2 lead. Facing the pressure of finishing off the top seed, Seppi gave one of the breaks back after a marathon game that saw Nadal survive two match points. Seppi, however, closed the deal in his next service game to take the set and the match 6-4.

    After scoring the biggest upset in what has been a surprise-filled tournament, Seppi advances to the quarterfinals where he will face either Fernando Verdasco or Robin Söderling. Seppi is 0-4 against Verdasco and he has never faced Söderling.

  • Thumbs up

    Seppi capitalized on four of eight break chances

  • Thumbs down

    Nadal is now without a title in three hard-court events this season

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