NZ Herald
  • Home
  • Latest news
  • Herald NOW
  • Video
  • New Zealand
  • Sport
  • World
  • Business
  • Entertainment
  • Podcasts
  • Quizzes
  • Opinion
  • Lifestyle
  • Travel
  • Viva
  • Weather

Subscriptions

  • Herald Premium
  • Viva Premium
  • The Listener
  • BusinessDesk

Sections

  • Latest news
  • New Zealand
    • All New Zealand
    • Crime
    • Politics
    • Education
    • Open Justice
    • Scam Update
  • Herald NOW
  • On The Up
  • World
    • All World
    • Australia
    • Asia
    • UK
    • United States
    • Middle East
    • Europe
    • Pacific
  • Business
    • All Business
    • MarketsSharesCurrencyCommoditiesStock TakesCrypto
    • Markets with Madison
    • Media Insider
    • Business analysis
    • Personal financeKiwiSaverInterest ratesTaxInvestment
    • EconomyInflationGDPOfficial cash rateEmployment
    • Small business
    • Business reportsMood of the BoardroomProject AucklandSustainable business and financeCapital markets reportAgribusiness reportInfrastructure reportDynamic business
    • Deloitte Top 200 Awards
    • CompaniesAged CareAgribusinessAirlinesBanking and financeConstructionEnergyFreight and logisticsHealthcareManufacturingMedia and MarketingRetailTelecommunicationsTourism
  • Opinion
    • All Opinion
    • Analysis
    • Editorials
    • Business analysis
    • Premium opinion
    • Letters to the editor
  • Politics
  • Sport
    • All Sport
    • OlympicsParalympics
    • RugbySuper RugbyNPCAll BlacksBlack FernsRugby sevensSchool rugby
    • CricketBlack CapsWhite Ferns
    • Racing
    • NetballSilver Ferns
    • LeagueWarriorsNRL
    • FootballWellington PhoenixAuckland FCAll WhitesFootball FernsEnglish Premier League
    • GolfNZ Open
    • MotorsportFormula 1
    • Boxing
    • UFC
    • BasketballNBABreakersTall BlacksTall Ferns
    • Tennis
    • Cycling
    • Athletics
    • SailingAmerica's CupSailGP
    • Rowing
  • Lifestyle
    • All Lifestyle
    • Viva - Food, fashion & beauty
    • Society Insider
    • Royals
    • Sex & relationships
    • Food & drinkRecipesRecipe collectionsRestaurant reviewsRestaurant bookings
    • Health & wellbeing
    • Fashion & beauty
    • Pets & animals
    • The Selection - Shop the trendsShop fashionShop beautyShop entertainmentShop giftsShop home & living
    • Milford's Investing Place
  • Entertainment
    • All Entertainment
    • TV
    • MoviesMovie reviews
    • MusicMusic reviews
    • BooksBook reviews
    • Culture
    • ReviewsBook reviewsMovie reviewsMusic reviewsRestaurant reviews
  • Travel
    • All Travel
    • News
    • New ZealandNorthlandAucklandWellingtonCanterburyOtago / QueenstownNelson-TasmanBest NZ beaches
    • International travelAustraliaPacific IslandsEuropeUKUSAAfricaAsia
    • Rail holidays
    • Cruise holidays
    • Ski holidays
    • Luxury travel
    • Adventure travel
  • Kāhu Māori news
  • Environment
    • All Environment
    • Our Green Future
  • Talanoa Pacific news
  • Property
    • All Property
    • Property Insider
    • Interest rates tracker
    • Residential property listings
    • Commercial property listings
  • Health
  • Technology
    • All Technology
    • AI
    • Social media
  • Rural
    • All Rural
    • Dairy farming
    • Sheep & beef farming
    • Horticulture
    • Animal health
    • Rural business
    • Rural life
    • Rural technology
    • Opinion
    • Audio & podcasts
  • Weather forecasts
    • All Weather forecasts
    • Kaitaia
    • Whangārei
    • Dargaville
    • Auckland
    • Thames
    • Tauranga
    • Hamilton
    • Whakatāne
    • Rotorua
    • Tokoroa
    • Te Kuiti
    • Taumaranui
    • Taupō
    • Gisborne
    • New Plymouth
    • Napier
    • Hastings
    • Dannevirke
    • Whanganui
    • Palmerston North
    • Levin
    • Paraparaumu
    • Masterton
    • Wellington
    • Motueka
    • Nelson
    • Blenheim
    • Westport
    • Reefton
    • Kaikōura
    • Greymouth
    • Hokitika
    • Christchurch
    • Ashburton
    • Timaru
    • Wānaka
    • Oamaru
    • Queenstown
    • Dunedin
    • Gore
    • Invercargill
  • Meet the journalists
  • Promotions & competitions
  • OneRoof property listings
  • Driven car news

Puzzles & Quizzes

  • Puzzles
    • All Puzzles
    • Sudoku
    • Code Cracker
    • Crosswords
    • Cryptic crossword
    • Wordsearch
  • Quizzes
    • All Quizzes
    • Morning quiz
    • Afternoon quiz
    • Sports quiz

Regions

  • Northland
    • All Northland
    • Far North
    • Kaitaia
    • Kerikeri
    • Kaikohe
    • Bay of Islands
    • Whangarei
    • Dargaville
    • Kaipara
    • Mangawhai
  • Auckland
  • Waikato
    • All Waikato
    • Hamilton
    • Coromandel & Hauraki
    • Matamata & Piako
    • Cambridge
    • Te Awamutu
    • Tokoroa & South Waikato
    • Taupō & Tūrangi
  • Bay of Plenty
    • All Bay of Plenty
    • Katikati
    • Tauranga
    • Mount Maunganui
    • Pāpāmoa
    • Te Puke
    • Whakatāne
  • Rotorua
  • Hawke's Bay
    • All Hawke's Bay
    • Napier
    • Hastings
    • Havelock North
    • Central Hawke's Bay
    • Wairoa
  • Taranaki
    • All Taranaki
    • Stratford
    • New Plymouth
    • Hāwera
  • Manawatū - Whanganui
    • All Manawatū - Whanganui
    • Whanganui
    • Palmerston North
    • Manawatū
    • Tararua
    • Horowhenua
  • Wellington
    • All Wellington
    • Kapiti
    • Wairarapa
    • Upper Hutt
    • Lower Hutt
  • Nelson & Tasman
    • All Nelson & Tasman
    • Motueka
    • Nelson
    • Tasman
  • Marlborough
  • West Coast
  • Canterbury
    • All Canterbury
    • Kaikōura
    • Christchurch
    • Ashburton
    • Timaru
  • Otago
    • All Otago
    • Oamaru
    • Dunedin
    • Balclutha
    • Alexandra
    • Queenstown
    • Wanaka
  • Southland
    • All Southland
    • Invercargill
    • Gore
    • Stewart Island
  • Gisborne

Media

  • Video
    • All Video
    • NZ news video
    • Herald NOW
    • Business news video
    • Politics news video
    • Sport video
    • World news video
    • Lifestyle video
    • Entertainment video
    • Travel video
    • Markets with Madison
    • Kea Kids news
  • Podcasts
    • All Podcasts
    • The Front Page
    • On the Tiles
    • Ask me Anything
    • The Little Things
  • Cartoons
  • Photo galleries
  • Today's Paper - E-editions
  • Photo sales
  • Classifieds

NZME Network

  • Advertise with NZME
  • OneRoof
  • Driven Car Guide
  • BusinessDesk
  • Newstalk ZB
  • Sunlive
  • ZM
  • The Hits
  • Coast
  • Radio Hauraki
  • The Alternative Commentary Collective
  • Gold
  • Flava
  • iHeart Radio
  • Hokonui
  • Radio Wanaka
  • iHeartCountry New Zealand
  • Restaurant Hub
  • NZME Events

SubscribeSign In
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Home / Sport / Tennis

Tennis: Nadal falls foul of injury and weather

By Paul Newman
Independent·
12 Sep, 2009 04:00 PM4 mins to read

Subscribe to listen

Access to Herald Premium articles require a Premium subscription. Subscribe now to listen.
Already a subscriber?  Sign in here

Listening to articles is free for open-access content—explore other articles or learn more about text-to-speech.
‌
Save

    Share this article

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

Rafael Nadal had hoped that his physical problems were behind him when he arrived at the US Open a fortnight ago but the Spaniard will be forced to take another break from the game once his tournament is over.

Nadal, whose hopes of completing his quarter-final against Fernando Gonzalez yesterday
were dashed by rain, has been advised by doctors to rest after aggravating a stomach muscle injury he sustained last month.

The world No 3 yesterday withdrew from Spain's Davis Cup semifinal against Israel next week, though he plans to attend the tie as a spectator.

Toni Nadal, the Australian Open champion's coach and uncle, said that the injury had been "very, very bad" on Friday, when he had on-court treatment as he played the best part of two sets against Gonzalez before rain intervened. It's unsure whether he will return for the next Masters tournament in Shanghai next month.

It has been a difficult summer for Nadal, who took two months out after the French Open because of tendinitis in both his knees. He returned in the back-to-back Masters events in Montreal and Cincinnati last month and looked to be coping with the stomach problem until it flared up again on Friday.

Roger Federer must have been one of the only men here with a smile on his face as rain and gusting winds cut a swathe through the final weekend for the second year in succession.

Federer, having already secured his place in the last four against Novak Djokovic, was able to put his feet up, while his greatest rival, Nadal, spent a frustrating day in the players' lounge at the mercy of the weather.

Play was eventually called off at 6pm (local time) as tournament organisers prepared for a Monday - and maybe even a Tuesday - finish.

The weather forecast overnight was not much better, but the Nadal-Gonzalez match was scheduled to resume earlier than normal, followed by the two women's semifinals (Serena Williams against Kim Clijsters and Yanina Wickmayer against Caroline Wozniacki).

The players dealt with Friday's delays in various ways. Wozniacki spent some time practicing indoors, then stopped by the cafeteria, then wandered the hallways of Arthur Ashe Stadium.

"They cancelled my match for today! U all have to wait until tomorrow!! (I have to wait too) I love u all for sticking around to watch!! Xxx S," Williams wrote on her Twitter feed.

Clijsters plunked herself down on the arm of a couch in the players' lounge, chatting with pals. "That's tennis. That's life," said Clijsters, who returned to the tour last month after a two-year retirement. "It's nothing new. I'd rather be here than sitting at home."

Today's provisional programme features the men's semifinals during the day and the women's final in the evening, with the men's final pencilled in for Monday afternoon (Tuesday NZT).

Nadal and Gonzalez are potentially the biggest victims of the weather and will have every reason to feel hard done by.

The weather had been good enough on Friday for Juan Martin del Potro, the third man into the last four, to complete a four-set victory over Marin Cilic, but tournament organisers chose not to stage the last quarter-final at the same time on another court, despite weather forecasts predicting rain in the evening.

Subsequently, Gonzalez and Nadal spent five hours trying to play their match in the night session. Nadal took the first set on a tie-break and the score was 2-2 in the second when the players were forced off court for an hour and a quarter.

They returned and were playing a second-set tie-break, with Gonzalez serving at 2-3, when rain halted proceedings for a second time. Two hours later, at just after midnight, play was called off for the day.

Whatever happens now, Nadal and Gonzalez know that if they reach the final they will have to play at least three days in succession.

With Wimbledon having built a sliding Centre Court roof and the French Open planning to install a retractable cover by 2014, the US Open will soon be the only Grand Slam tournament with no facility to play during rain.

The weather problems are compounded by the fact there are no covers on the courts.

- INDEPENDENT, ADDITIONAL REPORTING: AP

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Save

    Share this article

Latest from Tennis

Tennis

Sinner wins first Wimbledon title in another Alcaraz classic

Tennis

'Super surreal': Most one-sided Wimbledon final ever as Swiatek triumphs

Tennis

'Very tough': Sinner braces for Alcaraz challenge in Wimbledon final


Sponsored

Solar bat monitors uncover secrets of Auckland’s night sky

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

Latest from Tennis

Sinner wins first Wimbledon title in another Alcaraz classic
Tennis

Sinner wins first Wimbledon title in another Alcaraz classic

The 23-year-old is the first Italian to win at the All England Club.

13 Jul 06:37 PM
'Super surreal': Most one-sided Wimbledon final ever as Swiatek triumphs
Tennis

'Super surreal': Most one-sided Wimbledon final ever as Swiatek triumphs

12 Jul 07:37 PM
'Very tough': Sinner braces for Alcaraz challenge in Wimbledon final
Tennis

'Very tough': Sinner braces for Alcaraz challenge in Wimbledon final

11 Jul 08:52 PM


Solar bat monitors uncover secrets of Auckland’s night sky
Sponsored

Solar bat monitors uncover secrets of Auckland’s night sky

06 Jul 09:47 PM
NZ Herald
  • About NZ Herald
  • Meet the journalists
  • Newsletters
  • Classifieds
  • Help & support
  • Contact us
  • House rules
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms of use
  • Competition terms & conditions
  • Our use of AI
Subscriber Services
  • NZ Herald e-editions
  • Daily puzzles & quizzes
  • Manage your digital subscription
  • Manage your print subscription
  • Subscribe to the NZ Herald newspaper
  • Subscribe to Herald Premium
  • Gift a subscription
  • Subscriber FAQs
  • Subscription terms & conditions
  • Promotions and subscriber benefits
NZME Network
  • The New Zealand Herald
  • The Northland Age
  • The Northern Advocate
  • Waikato Herald
  • Bay of Plenty Times
  • Rotorua Daily Post
  • Hawke's Bay Today
  • Whanganui Chronicle
  • Viva
  • NZ Listener
  • Newstalk ZB
  • BusinessDesk
  • OneRoof
  • Driven Car Guide
  • iHeart Radio
  • Restaurant Hub
NZME
  • About NZME
  • NZME careers
  • Advertise with NZME
  • Digital self-service advertising
  • Book your classified ad
  • Photo sales
  • NZME Events
  • © Copyright 2025 NZME Publishing Limited
TOP