Tim Smyczek of the U.S. gestures to the crowd after losing to Rafael Nadal of Spain in their men's singles second round match at the Australian Open 2015 tennis tournament in Melbourne January 21, 2015. REUTERS/Thomas Peter
MELBOURNE (Reuters) - One of the best matches of Tim Smyczek's career ended in a five-set defeat by Rafa Nadal at the Australian Open on Wednesday but the American qualifier will head back to the second-tier Challenger tour with renewed faith.
Smyczek exited Rod Laver Arena with a warm ovation from the packed terraces, having pushed a sick Nadal to the wall before succumbing 6-2 3-6 6-7(2) 6-3 7-5 in a second round thriller lasting four hours and 12 minutes.
Already a subscriber? Log in.
Win a prize this Mother's Day by subscribing to our annual plan now! T&C applies.
Cancel anytime. No ads. Auto-renewal. Unlimited access to the web and app. Personalised features. Members rewards.
Follow us on our official WhatsApp channel for breaking news alerts and key updates!
