NEW YORK: Rafa Nadal overcame a horrid start and a bloody nose to beat Fabio Fognini 2-6, 6-4, 6-2, 6-1 and reach the third round of the US Open on Thursday (Sep 1). The veteran Italian came out flying to build a set and a 4-2 lead as Nadal struggled to find a rhythm, raising the possibility of an upset li
NEW YORK: Rafa Nadal overcame a horrid start and a bloody nose to beat Fabio Fognini 2-6, 6-4, 6-2, 6-1 and reach the third round of the US Open on Thursday .
He broke the fading Fognini again to capture the third set and appeared to be cruising to the finish line when, while leading 3-0 in the fourth set, his racket bounced off of the court and struck him sharply on the bridge of his nose "For more than one-and-a-half hours I was not competing, it was one of my worst starts ever," Nadal said in an on-court interview.