‘Completely destroyed’ – Rafael Nadal explains medical issue during Australian Open win

Rafael Nadal said he was left ‘completely destroyed’ after overcoming stomach problems to beat Denis Shapovalov at the Australian Open.

The Spaniard is through to a 36th career Grand Slam semi-final after seeing off the talented 22-year-old in five sets, winning 6-3, 6-4, 4-6, 3-6, 6-3.

Nadal was pushed all the way by the Canadian and had difficulties of his own to battle as he required the trainer in the fourth set to enable him to carry on competing.

‘I was completely destroyed,’ he said.

‘Very tough day, very warm. Honestly, I was…I didn’t practice for it but I was a little bit lucky at the beginning of the fifth.

‘At the beginning of the match I was playing great and I know how difficult it is to play against a player like Denis, he’s very talented, very physical, he was serving huge and especially the second serve.’

Explaining why the trainer came on, he said: ‘I started to feel not very well in my stomach so I asked for something, we went inside they took the tension, checked everything was all right in my body and some tablets to try and improve the stomach problem I had.’

When asked whether the tablets helped him improve, he laughed: ‘So-so.

‘I was lucky that I was serving great in the fifth.’

Nadal remains in hot pursuit of a record 21st career Grand Slam and at 35 years of age he knows he needs to seize every opportunity he gets in these later stages of a tournament.

‘I am not 21 anymore, after this match it is great to have two days off,’ he said.

‘I felt quite good physically in terms of movement but the conditions haven’t been that hot.

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