Rafael Nadal was convinced he lost before storming back to win at Indian Wells

Rafael Nadal is the last word escape artist, however he puzzled if he had pushed his luck when he was down 2-5 and two breaks within the third set towards Sebastian Korda on Saturday on the BNP Paribas Open. Korda’s backhand was scorching and his court docket protection was distinctive, inflicting issues Nadal couldn’t clear up. “I assumed I used to be misplaced right now,” Nadal mentioned.

He instructed himself to play higher so he may no less than stroll away feeling good about some a part of his recreation. He started to chip away at his deficit and as he did, he planted doubts in Korda’s thoughts. “Regular factor with this sort of match, in that place, of 100 matches in all probability you going to lose 90,” mentioned Nadal, who withdrew from the subsequent tour occasion, the Miami Open, to protect towards fatigue. “However for those who quit, you’re going to lose 100.”

Capitalizing on Korda’s rising nerves and adjusting his techniques to come back nearer to the baseline and rely extra on his forehand, Nadal roared again to win 4 straight video games. Within the tiebreak he rallied from 2-3 to drag out a 6-2, 1-6, 7-6 (3) victory over Korda, 21, the very best hope for American male tennis gamers to once more be elements in main tournaments and possibly the one one with a cat named “Raffy” in honor of Nadal.

Nadal, who shall be 36 in June, prolonged his exceptional season begin to 16-0. That features his comeback from two units down towards Daniil Medvedev within the Australian Open closing, which gave him a males’s-record twenty first Grand Slam singles title.

“He’s an unimaginable fighter. Most likely one of many best fighters of all time. And simply used it and saved on going,” mentioned Korda, the son of 1998 Australian Open champion Petr Korda and former tour participant Regina Rajchrtova, and brother of LPGA gamers Nelly and Jessica Korda.

“To form of push him to the sting was superior,” Korda mentioned. “Exhibits a variety of my recreation, how harmful it may be towards robust opponents.”

Nadal, the No. 4 seed, will face No. 27 Daniel Evans of Britain on Monday within the spherical of 32. Nadal hopes to keep away from preventing his method out of a nook once more. “I used to be tremendous fortunate right now to be by way of, actually,” he mentioned. “Accepting that, I have to play higher, as a result of I didn’t play effectively.”

Medvedev had a simple time in his first match right here, additionally his first as No. 1 on the earth. Medvedev saved the lone break level he confronted and gained 80% of his first serve factors in defeating Czech Tomas Machac 6-3, 6-2 and advancing to the spherical of 32.

“For me, it’s an incredible feeling,” the 6-foot-6 Russian mentioned of his aggressive debut as No. 1. “One thing I’ve all the time dreamt of, one thing I used to be going for. On the similar time, I wish to play higher, I wish to attempt to win extra.”