Spanish tennis player Rafa Nadal went directly to the third round of the US Open on Thursday after his rival, Thanasi Kokkinakis, withdrew from the tournament before tonight’s game due to a right shoulder injury.
“I knew it was a possibility since this morning,” the 23-year-old Australian player explained at a press conference, saying that he began to feel discomfort and pain when he woke up in the morning and went to put on his socks.
The player described that his area was inflamed and that he had decided to retire to avoid going through an injury process like the one that affected him in January.
Asked if he had spoken with Nadal, Kokkinakis replied that he had not, although he did say that he had received messages from a certain “Rafael.”
«I received messages from Rafael. I do not know this person, I have not read it yet but if it is him … hopefully it is not a troll but if it is him, I appreciate it, “he said.
Tonight, instead of Nadal’s game being played at Arthur Ashe State of Flushing Meadows, the one that was scheduled in second inning was played at Louis Armstrong Stadium, between Marin Cilic and Cedrick-Marcel Stebe.
And in the Armstrong, consequently, it was seen tonight that they dispute in the men’s doubles Dodig-Polasek against Sock-Withrow. EFE