Rafael Nadal entered his third tournament of the season at the ATP 500 event in Acapulco in February. The Spaniard saught his third title in 2022 after previously conquering Melbourne and the Australian Open. Feeling well, Nadal traveled to Mexico and set his eyes on the fourth Acapulco crown.
A 21-time Major winner trained with Stefan Kozlov ahead of the tournament, but they could not finish their session. The American got a call from the organizers to prepare for the main draw, entering the action as a lucky loser.
Kozlov made a slow start to the season before reaching the Delray Beach quarter-final ahead of Acapulco. Kozlov faced Grigor Dimitrov in the opening round and survived cramps and drama in a 7-6, 5-7, 6-3 triumph in three hours and 21 minutes!
Rafael Nadal trained with Stefan Kozlov in Acapulco.
The American scored two points more than the Bulgarian, and there was nothing to separate them after four breaks on each side. The opening set lasted an hour and 20 minutes, and Kozlov claimed it 10-8 in the tie break after fending off two set points.
The younger player led 3-1 in the second set before Dimitrov climbed back to level the score at 3-3. Stefan broke again in game eight to move 5-3 ahead and serve for the victory. However, he lost four straight games and handed the set to Grigor.
Experiencing massive cramps, Kozlov kept fighting and survived a marathon in the deciding set’s first game. Barely moving, the players were engaged in a tight battle before Stefan scored a break to open a 4-2 lead. Kozlov stayed focused in games seven and nine, serving well and moving over the top with a hold at 5-3 to advance into the second round and set Rafael Nadal clash.
It was the first clash between Nadal and Kozlov, and the favorite grabbed a commanding 6-0, 6-3 triumph in an hour and 16 minutes. Stefan did not have much left in the tank after enduring that marathon against Dimitrov. He experienced a bagel in the opener and played better in the second.
Rafa lost ten points in eight service games to keep the pressure on the other side. The Spaniard suffered one break from the only chance offered to the opponent and turned over half of the return points into five breaks from six opportunities.
Rafa had 29 winners and 18 unforced errors, with over ten direct points coming from his smash, which worked like a charm. Stefan fought well in the second set, but Rafa did enough with a couple of breaks on his tally.
