Japan’s Kei Nishikori defeated Spain’s Rafael Nadal in three sets on Sunday to take bronze in men’s singles.
A tired-looking Nadal lacked the precision he had employed so often throughout the tournament, hitting shots into the net or sending them wide. Though he battled back from a 5-2 deficit to win the second set, he couldn’t sustain it into the third. Japan’s World No. 7 player consistently utilized agility and a strong defense to down the Spaniard 6-2, 6(1)-7(7), 6-3.
On Saturday, Nadal lost an epic three-setter against Argentina’s unseeded Juan Martin del Potro. The match ended with the Argentine winning in a tiebreak, 5-7, 6-4, 7-6 (7-5). Nishikori’s semifinal against Great Britain’s Andy Murray was much shorter, with the Briton winning 6-1, 6-4.