Nadal proved he's still the king of clay with his win over Zverev

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Nadal proved he's still the king of clay with his win over Zverev

ByAshley Ndebele

Published Apr 08, 2018

It was a do-or-die situation for the Spanish team as they had to win the first reverse singles on Sunday in order to remain in contention for the Davis Cup semifinal slot against Germany. The Spaniards were hoping that their top player Rafael Nadal, who currently holds the world No. 1 spot, would deliver. Nadal did not disappoint.

Heading into Friday’s singles rubber, Nadal had no matches under his belt since retiring in the fifth set of his quarterfinal match against Marin Cilic with a leg injury. Showing no signs of physical issues, he took out Philipp Kohlschreiber in straight sets. Sunday was no different as the 10-time Roland Garros champion looked very much at home playing on his favorite surface against fourth-ranked Alexander Zverev, cruising to a 6-1, 6-4, 6-4 victory.

Match point:

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Nadal came out swinging, taking the first three games without any resistance. Zverev only managed to win one game in the set as Nadal ran away with it, without taking his foot off the pedal. However, the German refused to be tossed aside so easily, but in the end, he was no match for the 31-year-old, who has now won all four of their encounters. With this win, Nadal leveled the tie 2-2, forcing a fifth rubber.

The 16-time singles Grand Slam champion was happy to be back on court, playing in front of the home crowd.

“It was never going to be easy so I’m very happy to get an important victory for me and the team," said Nadal during his post-match on-court interview, according to ATPWorldTour.com. “I’m very happy with my level, the first set was fantastic in such an important match. It’s a great feeling and very unique to play here in front of my people. It was a great match for me in an unbelievable atmosphere.”

After taking out Italy, France now awaits the winner of this tie. United States is already through to the semis with a win over Belgium.

Up next for Nadal is Monte Carlo, where's he's the defending champion. In less than two months, he will attempt to win his 11th Roland Garros trophy, breaking his own record.

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Nadal proved he's still the king of clay with his win over Zverev

Nadal proved he's still the king of clay with his win over Zverev

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