Rafael Nadal surprisingly lost to Andrey Rublev in three sets at the Rolex Monte-Carlo Masters on Friday. But before being upset in the quarterfinals, Nadal beat Grigor Dimitrov in shockingly easy fashion.
Nadal steamrolled Dimitrov 6-1, 6-1 in their fourth-round match.
Nadal, whose native language is Spanish, was matter-of-fact when speaking afterwards. He said bluntly that Dimitrov played a “very bad match.”
Nadal.
"Sorry for Grigor. He played a very bad match, that's the true. I did the right things but this score is his fault."
— José Morgado (@josemorgado) April 15, 2021
The quote reads terribly and like Nadal was just being savage. However, it seems a lot worse than it was.
Nadal was just saying that Dimitrov was not himself and that’s the reason the score was so lopsided. In fact, Dimitrov has been dealing with a dental issue that has made him uncomfortable and resulted in him playing so poorly.
Nadal on Dimitrov's toothache: 'I didn't know that. Now I understand a little bit more the things. He was playing too aggressive & little bit out of rhythm. Yeah, sorry for him… He didn't told me. That shows how good guy he is. Hopefully the situation gets better for him soon.' https://t.co/Bnzty8eAeb
— George Bellshaw (@BellshawGeorge) April 15, 2021
So it all makes sense now.
As for why Nadal lost on clay to Rublev though, maybe it’s because Rublev played a very good match.
