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| Nadal Loses to 135th-Ranked Player in the First Round | |
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| WIMBLEDON, England — Relentlessly competitive and ultimately unbeatable on the red clay at the French Open, Rafael Nadal could not win so much as a set on the grass at Wimbledon this year. | WIMBLEDON, England — Relentlessly competitive and ultimately unbeatable on the red clay at the French Open, Rafael Nadal could not win so much as a set on the grass at Wimbledon this year. |
| It was the first time Nadal, the great Spanish champion, had lost in the first round in singles at a Grand Slam event, and his unlikely tormentor on Court 1 on Monday was Steve Darcis, a Belgian veteran ranked just 135th who spent part of this season competing in the minor leagues of professional tennis, the challenger circuit. | It was the first time Nadal, the great Spanish champion, had lost in the first round in singles at a Grand Slam event, and his unlikely tormentor on Court 1 on Monday was Steve Darcis, a Belgian veteran ranked just 135th who spent part of this season competing in the minor leagues of professional tennis, the challenger circuit. |
| But against the fifth-seeded Nadal, the flashy Darcis was too much to handle, producing winners with his forehand, timely first serves and defense off the full stretch that often appeared to catch Nadal by surprise on the slick grass that is part of the equation on opening day at Wimbledon. | But against the fifth-seeded Nadal, the flashy Darcis was too much to handle, producing winners with his forehand, timely first serves and defense off the full stretch that often appeared to catch Nadal by surprise on the slick grass that is part of the equation on opening day at Wimbledon. |
| In the end, Darcis’s 7-6 (4), 7-6 (8), 6-4 victory seemed surprisingly straightforward, almost shockingly so, for what was one of the biggest upsets in Wimbledon history. It was also the second year in a row that Nadal had given an aggressive outsider a chance to make a bigger name for himself. | In the end, Darcis’s 7-6 (4), 7-6 (8), 6-4 victory seemed surprisingly straightforward, almost shockingly so, for what was one of the biggest upsets in Wimbledon history. It was also the second year in a row that Nadal had given an aggressive outsider a chance to make a bigger name for himself. |
| “Nobody was expecting me to win today,” Darcis said. | “Nobody was expecting me to win today,” Darcis said. |
| A year ago, Nadal was beaten in the second round by the 100th-ranked Czech Lukas Rosol on Centre Court, with the fifth set being played under the closed roof. Nadal, because of knee problems, did not play another match for seven months before returning in February. | A year ago, Nadal was beaten in the second round by the 100th-ranked Czech Lukas Rosol on Centre Court, with the fifth set being played under the closed roof. Nadal, because of knee problems, did not play another match for seven months before returning in February. |
| It has been a remarkably successful comeback, with Nadal winning seven of the nine tournaments he had played before Wimbledon, including his eighth French Open little more than two weeks ago. But in an attempt to protect his left knee, he played all but one of those nine tournaments on clay. | It has been a remarkably successful comeback, with Nadal winning seven of the nine tournaments he had played before Wimbledon, including his eighth French Open little more than two weeks ago. But in an attempt to protect his left knee, he played all but one of those nine tournaments on clay. |
| Though he had originally planned to play a warm-up tournament on grass in Halle, Germany, he withdrew from that event and elected to spend the week resting in Majorca instead. He arrived at Wimbledon last Tuesday and was unable to make up for missed grass-court matches. | Though he had originally planned to play a warm-up tournament on grass in Halle, Germany, he withdrew from that event and elected to spend the week resting in Majorca instead. He arrived at Wimbledon last Tuesday and was unable to make up for missed grass-court matches. |
| “Obviously I wanted to play,” Nadal said of Halle. “But today, yes, we cannot come back. We cannot come two weeks before. That’s what happened. I didn’t have that chance. I tried my best. Was not possible. That’s all I can say, just congratulate the opponent. At the end, it’s not a tragedy. That is sport.” | “Obviously I wanted to play,” Nadal said of Halle. “But today, yes, we cannot come back. We cannot come two weeks before. That’s what happened. I didn’t have that chance. I tried my best. Was not possible. That’s all I can say, just congratulate the opponent. At the end, it’s not a tragedy. That is sport.” |
| It was an inadvertent echo of a long-ago quote from Boris Becker when he was stunned in the second round of Wimbledon by the Australian journeyman Peter Doohan in 1987: “No one died out there,” Becker said. “I just lost a tennis match.” | It was an inadvertent echo of a long-ago quote from Boris Becker when he was stunned in the second round of Wimbledon by the Australian journeyman Peter Doohan in 1987: “No one died out there,” Becker said. “I just lost a tennis match.” |
| But the surprise factor certainly magnified the significance of this one, bringing into sharp relief details that included Nadal’s uncharacteristic errors and, perhaps most importantly, his struggles to move without pain in the final set. | But the surprise factor certainly magnified the significance of this one, bringing into sharp relief details that included Nadal’s uncharacteristic errors and, perhaps most importantly, his struggles to move without pain in the final set. |
| Though he showed no sign of difficulty in the early stages of the match, he was clearly hampered by the end, struggling to reach balls normally within his range and limping noticeably after some exchanges. | Though he showed no sign of difficulty in the early stages of the match, he was clearly hampered by the end, struggling to reach balls normally within his range and limping noticeably after some exchanges. |
| Nadal, who turned 27 this month, declined to use his left knee as an excuse. “I think it is not the day to talk about these kind of things,” he said. “I am confident that I will have a good recover and be ready for the next tournaments. I played much more than what I dreamed before here after the injury. So that’s a fantastic and very positive thing for me. I know the grass is a difficult surface for the way that I need to play to play well here. Was not possible this year. I’m going to try my best for the next couple years.” | Nadal, who turned 27 this month, declined to use his left knee as an excuse. “I think it is not the day to talk about these kind of things,” he said. “I am confident that I will have a good recover and be ready for the next tournaments. I played much more than what I dreamed before here after the injury. So that’s a fantastic and very positive thing for me. I know the grass is a difficult surface for the way that I need to play to play well here. Was not possible this year. I’m going to try my best for the next couple years.” |
| Pressed on when he might return, considering that last year he missed seven months after losing at Wimbledon, Nadal said he was fully expecting to play the United States Open in August. | Pressed on when he might return, considering that last year he missed seven months after losing at Wimbledon, Nadal said he was fully expecting to play the United States Open in August. |
| But for now, Wimbledon will have to do without Nadal, and the bottom half of the draw now seems a much less dangerous place. Seeded just fifth here despite his remarkable recent form and his two previous titles at Wimbledon, he ended up in the same half of the draw as Andy Murray, Roger Federer and Jo-Wilfried Tsonga. | But for now, Wimbledon will have to do without Nadal, and the bottom half of the draw now seems a much less dangerous place. Seeded just fifth here despite his remarkable recent form and his two previous titles at Wimbledon, he ended up in the same half of the draw as Andy Murray, Roger Federer and Jo-Wilfried Tsonga. |
| Murray, Federer and Tsonga all won their first-round matches on Monday with relative ease. Federer, the defending champion, played the traditional opening match on Centre Court and elegantly chopped up the chances of Victor Hanescu, 6-2, 6-2, 6-0. Tsonga went next, defeating David Goffin of Belgium, 7-6 (4), 6-4, 6-3 on Court 2. Murray was last, defeating Benjamin Becker of Germany (no relation to that other Becker), 6-4, 6-3, 6-2. | Murray, Federer and Tsonga all won their first-round matches on Monday with relative ease. Federer, the defending champion, played the traditional opening match on Centre Court and elegantly chopped up the chances of Victor Hanescu, 6-2, 6-2, 6-0. Tsonga went next, defeating David Goffin of Belgium, 7-6 (4), 6-4, 6-3 on Court 2. Murray was last, defeating Benjamin Becker of Germany (no relation to that other Becker), 6-4, 6-3, 6-2. |
| “So much for that Roger versus Rafa,” said John Isner, shaking his head, about the prospective quarterfinal match between Federer and Nadal that will no longer take place. | “So much for that Roger versus Rafa,” said John Isner, shaking his head, about the prospective quarterfinal match between Federer and Nadal that will no longer take place. |
| The question is whether Nadal’s grasscourt results the last two seasons are anomalies or a sign of a larger issue with the surface. Rosol, who played and lost in the first round on Monday with hip problems of his own, was watching on television near the players lounge as Nadal struggled against Darcis. | The question is whether Nadal’s grasscourt results the last two seasons are anomalies or a sign of a larger issue with the surface. Rosol, who played and lost in the first round on Monday with hip problems of his own, was watching on television near the players lounge as Nadal struggled against Darcis. |
| “I mean, it’s not easy for Rafa,” Rosol said. “It’s nice he always wins French Open, you know. But this is another tournament, and for him the first match on the grass it’s not easy. I know from my own experience. | “I mean, it’s not easy for Rafa,” Rosol said. “It’s nice he always wins French Open, you know. But this is another tournament, and for him the first match on the grass it’s not easy. I know from my own experience. |
| “On clay he can slide, so it’s not so hard for the knee. It’s the same for my hip. But it’s much harder here to stop on the grass. You have to take little steps, so it hurts more. It’s not easy.” | “On clay he can slide, so it’s not so hard for the knee. It’s the same for my hip. But it’s much harder here to stop on the grass. You have to take little steps, so it hurts more. It’s not easy.” |
| But Rosol said that irrespective of Nadal’s physical challenges, Monday’s result was another stunning reminder of the depth of talent in men’s tennis even if the top four players have hoarded the Grand Slam trophies for most of the last eight seasons. | But Rosol said that irrespective of Nadal’s physical challenges, Monday’s result was another stunning reminder of the depth of talent in men’s tennis even if the top four players have hoarded the Grand Slam trophies for most of the last eight seasons. |
| “Look, he wins the French Open, a Grand Slam, and now he loses first round against Darcis,” Rosol said. “What is he 70, 80 in the world?” | “Look, he wins the French Open, a Grand Slam, and now he loses first round against Darcis,” Rosol said. “What is he 70, 80 in the world?” |
| No, he is 135 and had won just one match in three previous appearances at Wimbledon. Even after his upset for the ages, he still has a losing record at the tournament, but he certainly looked like a winner as he finished off the match with an ace down the T and then arched his back and pumped his fists with delight. | No, he is 135 and had won just one match in three previous appearances at Wimbledon. Even after his upset for the ages, he still has a losing record at the tournament, but he certainly looked like a winner as he finished off the match with an ace down the T and then arched his back and pumped his fists with delight. |
| “If you start to focus on him it’s tougher,” Darcis said of Nadal. “It’s already tough tennis. I tried to focus on myself, what I have to do, and I think I did great today.” | “If you start to focus on him it’s tougher,” Darcis said of Nadal. “It’s already tough tennis. I tried to focus on myself, what I have to do, and I think I did great today.” |