Wimbledon 2022: Rafael Nadal and Cameron Norrie are the 1st pair of left-handers to make SW19 semifinals in 30 years
The Wimbledon semifinals this year will feature two left-handers - Rafael Nadal and Cameron Norrie - for the first time in exactly three decades. Both left-handers needed to take the scenic route to make the last four, recovering from two-sets-to-one down in their respective quarterfinals.
Norrie, playing his first Major quarterfinal, started slow and conceded the opener. He got back on level terms in the second but trailed again when Goffin moved within a set of his first Wimbledon semifinal. However, egged on by vociferous home support, Norrie engineered late breaks of serve in the next two sets to set up a clash with three-time defending champion Novak Djokovic.
Meanwhile, Nadal, playing his seventh Wimbledon quarterfinal, led Taylor Fritz 3-1 before the American reeled off five straight games to take the opening set. Despite taking a medical timeout in the second, Nadal roared back into the contest as he leveled proceedings.
However, it was Fritz who reasserted his ascendancy in the contest by taking the third set while Nadal, afflicted by what seemed like an abdominal injury, brought his famed warrior mentality out to the fore. Despite losing his serve twice in the fourth set, he broke decisively to lead 6-5 before serving out to force a decider.
In the fifth set that went the distance, Nadal opened up a 5-0 lead in the tiebreaker, eventually winning it 10-4 to reach his third straight Wimbledon semifinal. He'll now take on combustible Australian Nick Kyrgios in a blockbuster last-four clash.
Nadal's victory over Fritz marked the first time since 1992 (Goran Ivanisevic and John McEnroe) that two left-handers will grace the Wimbledon semifinals. In fact, it's the first time in more than a decade that two left-handers have reached the semifinals at a Major (2010 Roland Garros - Nadal and Jurgen Melzer).
With left-handers @RafaelNadal and @cam_norrie in the semi-finals, the last time 2 lefties were in @Wimbledon SFs was in 1992 with Goran Ivanisevic and John McEnroe.
The last #GrandSlam SF with 2 left-handers was 2010 @rolandgarros with @jojomelzer and #Nadal.
Nadal will be looking to win his first title at SW19 in 12 years, while Norrie will make his Grand Slam semifinal debut.
Can Rafael Nadal and Cameron Norrie set up first all-lefty Wimbledon final in nearly four decades?
The last all-lefty Wimbledon men's singles final was contested by Americans John McEnroe and Jimmy Connors in 1984. McEnroe successfully defended his title against his compatriot, avenging his defeat to Connors in the 1982 title match.
In 1992, Ivanisevic beat future seven-time champion Pete Sampras to make the final. However, eventual champion Andre Agassi denied an all-lefty final, beating McEnroe in straight sets in the other semifinal.
Almost four decades after that McEnroe-Connors match in 1984, Wimbledon could once again have an all-lefty final. However, the odds of that happening do not look too bright. While Nadal will fancy his chances against Kyrgios, Norrie would will almost certainly need a miracle to topple Djokovic and make the final.
Then there were four.
#Wimbledon | #CentreCourt100 https://t.co/EyRVCtOvHW
Rafael Nadal has a riveting rivalry with Nick Kyrgios, particulary at SW19. After being stunned by the Australian in the 2014 fourth round, Nadal turned the tables on Kyrgios in the second round three years ago.
In his press conference, Nadal admitted contemplating retiring during the match against Fritz. He was non-commital about taking the court against Kyrgios on Friday.
However, he's unlikely to miss a tryst with history if his body allows him to. The Spaniard is two wins away from going three-fourths of the way to a calendar year Grand Slam, having won the Australian Open and Roland Garros earlier this year. He has a 6-3 head-to-head record against Kyrgios, including 2-1 in Majors.
Kyrgios is playing the best tennis of his career, especially on grass. However, he has had long matches too - needing five sets to see off Brandon Nakashima in the fourth round after an ill-tempered four-set win over Stefanos Tsitsipas in the previous round.
Meanwhile, Norrie will have his task cut out against Djokovic. The defending champion is on a roll at Wimbledon, extending his win streak to 26 matches after recovering from two-sets-to-love down against Jannik Sinner in the quarterfinals. In his only previous meeting with Norrie, he conceded only three games in the ATP Finals in Turin last year.
It remains to be seen if Norrie can pull off one of the upsets of the tournament and continue his fairy-tale run to set up a possible title clash with Nadal. He has unfinished business with the Spaniard, having lost the Acapulco final this year.