Tenis Wimbaldn 2011. Rafel Nadal suffers injury

[R. M. Dixit]

Wimbledon 2011: Rafael Nadal suffers injury in fourth-round defeat of Juan Martin del Potro. Rafael Nadal was once again the last man standing after one of Wimbledon’s most fantastic duels with Juan Martin del Potro but even the indefatigable champion admits he is fearful about whether he will be fit to defend his crown in Wednesday’s quarter-finals after suffering a foot injury during this Centre Court epic.

Roaring success: Rafael Nadal came from a set down to beat Juan Martin del Potro and set up a quarter-final meeting with Mardy Fish Photo: AP

“I’m worried for sure,” admitted Nadal, after conceding that he is still unsure of the exact nature of the injury to a bone in his left foot, which caused him pain throughout the dazzling three hour 52-minute contest, or whether he will be ready to play in the last eight against American Mardy Fish.

“I can’t predict the future. Let’s see what the MRI scan says and see if I have a chance to recover for Wednesday,” said Nadal, who feared that he might have to pull out of the match as early as the first set.

Nadal, who has a history of knee injuries — one of which forced him to forego the chance to defend his 2008 Wimbledon title — revealed he could feel this mystery new injury halfway through the first set. Yet it worsened when he stretched to make a pass to earn a set-point at 6-5 on Del Potro’s serve. “I thought I’d broken my foot, I felt terrible,” he recalled. “I sent for trainer and didn’t know if I’d have the chance to continue.”

It tells you much about the man then that not only was he able to soldier on, going straight back out to win a pulsating tie-break 8-6, but that he also went on to prevail in surely the most astonishing demonstration of power hitting in the event’s 125-year annals. Like a couple of wounded heavyweight champions trying to slug each other into oblivion, they traded blow after ferocious blow — the Argentine had to drag himself injured off the canvas too after a tumble in the third set — before, almost inevitably, Nadal prevailed 7-6, 3-6, 7-6, 6-4 at just after 9pm.

Poor old Del Potro. He hit the champion with everything, played one of the matches of his young life, uncorked forehand uppercuts timed at up to 115mph and resembled the Roger Federer US Open slayer of old. Yet it was still not enough.