3rd Round
Mercedes Cup, Stuttgart, Germany
July 15, 2024

German Version

Pre-Match

In the next match here on centre court, the 18-year-old Spaniard, Rafael Nadal meets the 24-year-old Argentinean, Juan Ignacio Chela.

First Set

Nadal opens serve in the first set and wins to love. A good start for the Majorcan, who gets a 1-0 lead in the first set.

Nadal appears to have learnt from yesterday�s match. He seems to have recognised that a drop shot can be very useful when your opponent is standing 3 meters behind the baseline�

From 40-0 to deuce, but Nadal remains calm. He wins his service and leads 2-1 in the first set.

A well placed whipped forehand from Nadal and a double-fault from Chela gives Nadal the gift of the first break opportunity of the match

He can certainly ward off Chela, but then he has the bad luck of a net ball, which hits the tape and flies out. But Chela doesn�t take the two game points left by Nadal. The left-hander leads 3-1 in the first set.

Chela is playing too passively and is always standing too far behind the baseline. Nadal makes use of this and goes to the net, finishing the point with a drop volley. Nadal leads 4-1.

We are seeing pure clay-court tennis here. Both players chase down the topspin shots around the entire court. It�s really a very impressive match but also well balanced.

Again, Nadal must rise from deuce on his serve but he gives no break points up and leads 5-2 in the first set.

Nadal is clearly better and therefore wins the first set, having completely earned the 6-2 score. Chela will have to improve tremendously if he wants to break into the Mercedes Cup quarterfinals.

Second Set

Both players win their first service games in the second set and so, Nadal serves at 1-1.

Nadal is really showing off! He can win nearly every long rally. What the boy is showing here is very impressive. He leads 6-2 and 2-1.

But Chela also holds his serve and equals at 2-2. You shouldn�t write off the Argentinean because the man from Buenos Aires is always dangerous�

Nothing in the return game. Again a service game won to love and so Nadal leads 3-2 in the second set.

Now it�s very dangerous for Chela. Break chance for Nadal!

A very close ball! The linesperson looks at it another time�and calls it out! There is the break � though it�s uncertain.

Nadal shows his superiority; it is extra-impressive! A service game win to love gives the Majorcan a 5-2 result.

Chela has problems with his serve again but still manages to hold on. It�s still �only� 2-6 and 3-5 from his view. Now Nadal serves for the match.

A sensational drop shot from the Argentinean. But today, Nadal easily has the better answer.

There they are, the first and second match balls!

And after 1 hour and 16 minutes, Rafael Nadal has earned his clear-cut 6-2 6-3 win against Juan Ignacio Chela, who was disappointing today.

In the round of the last 8, Nadal will meet his countryman David Ferrer, who today beat Frenchman Richard Gasquet in a relaxed 2 sets.

Even without German participants, we saw splendid clay court tennis again today that makes us hungry for the quarterfinals day tomorrow. Tomorrow, the program includes the following parties: Stepanek (CZE) � Canas (ARG), Davidenko (RUS) � Costa (ESP), Gaudio (ARG) � Novak (CZE) and even Nadal (ESP) � Ferrer (ESP).

We hope we have more extensively informed you of the MercedesCup 2004 at the Stuttgart Weissenhof Park and we would be pleased to greet you again in the morning at the same time of 11:30am. Until tomorrow, we wish you a pleasant evening.