by James Buddell, Eurosport

October 13, 2024

21:51 NADAL all over the net, a classic volley, Corretja scrambles back lobbing, Nadal smashes out... GAME SET MATCH CORRETJA... 6-2 3-6 6-4. Not a classic, but a great win for Corretja who desperately needs a win... a second loss for Nadal against Corretja in 2003... inexperience costs him, but he will learn from it. Perhaps Nadal is trying too hard to finish in the year in the Top 50; he certainly seems to have added weight to his frame since his three-week injury break...

21:48 A couple of unforced errors and Corretja is two points from taking the match... inexperience paying... NADAL attempts a forehand drive volley... it flies out... DOUBLE MATCH POINT CORRETJA

21:46 Corretja is fuming, a fifth poor line call and the point is going to have to be replayed... Nadal on the rocks, but shows a flash of what he is truly capable... a brilliant forehand down the line, fizzing by... the match time at 2 hours 5 minutes

21:43 Corretja unreturnable to the backhand side of Nadal ADV; brave and courageous play by the Spaniard struggling for form... CORRETJA 5-4!

21:41 Corretja opens up brightly gaining a two-point cushion, but invites Nadal back into the game with a silly double fault; moments later he keeps Nadal guessing with a serve volley... Corretja's fitness playing it's part... 40-15; two casual backhand slices and it's DEUCE! Nadal realises the chance and heads to his towel, dictating the game at his pace... good tactic...

21:37 Nadal low on confidence manufactures a game point chance as the teenager is buoyed by the support of the crowd... he serves out, but will have to up the level of his game... LEVEL 4-4

21:36 Slugging it out from the baseline, both players starting to up the volume on every shot... Corretja persists with targetting the Nadal backhand... CORRETJA huge off-forehand, leaving Nadal no chance... BREAK POINT 30-40; first serve in deep, Corretja forehand in, it's called out however... twice in the game the same line judge has given a dodgey call... LUCKY BOY NADAL... DEUCE!

21:30 Nadal returning deep and moving up the court for the volley... Corretja (serving) does likewise and at 30-30 the crowd start to cheer... ALEX holds serve... 4-3! His one-handed backhand sealing the game... at the changeover he pours a bottle of water over his head... Nadal has his head in his towel

21:25 With the mentality of a seasoned pro, but the shots of a player his age NADAL holds and the crowd once again cheer their enthusiasm... 3-3! Tense moments ahead... this match isn't the greatest, but both players are certainly showing great determination in adversity

21:20 Hitting to the Nadal backhand, Corretja finds the 17-year-old firing the ball down the lines... 0-30... trouble brewing... forehand long and TRIPLE BREAK POINT NADAL! Gifts! NADAL gets it, as Corretja fires a forehand well long... the crowd go wild... the match on a knife edge... can NADAL hold and level however?

21:16 Neither player, playing their best tennis; neither have played well at the same time... NADAL in trouble... 0-40; Corretja bouncing on his toes, awaiting serve; TRIPLE BREAK POINT... Nadal goes for broke and saves one chance 15-40; kicker to the backhand and Corretja nets 30-40; ONE MORE POINT... Nadal forehand out; CORRETJA 3-1

21:10 The shoulders of Nadal have dropped and the match could so easily escape him... he must take the BREAK POINT chance... NADAL with a chance... Corretja fires wildly out... back on serve... NADAL 1-2

21:08 BREAK POINT CORRETJA! He frames just when the break looked possible... Nadal noticeably breaths a sigh of relief... back to DEUCE... two unstoppable forehands and CORRETJA breaks, pumps his fist and realises the enormity of the situation... CORRETJA 2-0!

21:00 Treating the court like a hard court, Corretja leaves Nadal standing with two drop shot winners... BREAK POINT NADAL, won through a superb forehand approach... he heads to the comfort of his towel... Corretja serves deep, the line judge calls out; secons serve unreturnable... DEUCE! Volley winner on the stretch with an excellent forehand approach that set up the chance ADV; Corretja holds the opener of the third set... 1-0!

20:56 An important game for noth players... Corretja serving

20:55 eurosport.com/co.uk realise their is a server problem on the Masters Masters LIVE page and are on the case... if you have any quetions please direct your comments to James Buddell courtside... on [email protected]

20:53 TRIPLE SET POINT NADAL... forehand winner and Corretja hurls his racket into the air after an abysmal game! SECOND SET NADAL 6-3... he pumps his fist and looks towards his coach and uncle Toni for further support...

20:49 Corretja finally holds onto his serve and heads to his chair at 3-5 for a change of rackets... NADAL to serve the set out... play!

20:45 Corretja at his best, topspin forehand angleand really starting to fight again... he rushes one backhand and frames into row Z! Nadal serving at 40-30... unreturnable to the Corretja backhand... NADAL 5-2

20:40 Firing on all cylinders now, Corretja dumping first serves into the net and relying on jamming Nadal on the second 0-30, becomes 30-30... a smash out, NADAL BREAK POINT, he shakes his head as he returns to the baseline, Nadal towels down... ACE... DEUCE! Corretja holds, having had enough a bit of agression and a fist pump... CORRETJA 2-4!

20:34 Attacking the net, Nadal is making the pace and pinning Corretja back forcing the mistake! Corretja has now made 21 unforced errors in the match so far and it's increasing all the time... Nadal holds with an excellent serve and forehand put away... NADAL 4-1

20:31 BREAK POINT NADAL! Long rally, Corretja fighting on every shot, forehand to forehand, backhand to backhand, eventually Nadal nets and it's DEUCE! Corretja nets a volley on approach and once again Nadal has the BREAK POINT... Nadal breaks with an angled backhand... NADAL 3-1! Vamos!

20:25 Nadal holds as his composure is restored... 2-1! He's now attacking the short ball on either wing and coming in...

20:22 DOUBLE BREAK POINT NADAL as last some of the flair is beginning to show and the crowd are warming to the player who beat Pat Cash as a 15-year-old... Nadal breaks with a forehand as he steps up the court... 1-1

20:19 BREAK POINT CORRETJA... Nadal not hitting enough first serves and struggling to consistenly hit deep on the second... Corretja is a marvelous counter-attacker and fires a forehand winner away on approach... CORRETJA first game second set 1-0

20:15 Nadal to open up the second set... what tactic will he employ now...

20:12 SET POINT CORRETJA!!! In complete command, Nadal playing alongside the line judges at the back of the court... the forehand is firing but the experience of Corretja is paying dividends... he takes the first set with a Nadal mistake... the crowd have filled the arena for this match, but have little to cheers.... CORRETJA FIRST SET 6-2

20:07 Nadal unusually nervous and making mistake after mistake... Corretja one of the toughest players on the tour is making mincemeat of the 17-year-old... DOUBLE BREAK POINT... Corretja return winner.... GAME CORRETJA 5-2

20:05 BREAK POINT NADAL... the Spaniards go to their towels, big point... huge first serve, Nadal returns and Corretja smashes away... DEUCE! Corretja holds on as the angles of the court are exposed, Nadal a good five yards behind the baseline... CORRETJA 4-2

19:57 TRIPLE BREAK POINT CORRETJA... Nadal on the backfoot splaying groundies wide of court, a double fault at 0-30 and Corretja opens his shoulders for a cross-court game winner and paces to his chair, still looking nervous at 3-2!

19:55 NADAL BREAK POINT... he overcooks a backhand, Corretja breaths a sigh of relief, Nadal's chance goes begging as the game flits between deuce and advantage... CORRETJA levels 2-2 19:52 Ion Tiriac, the tournament's director watches on in the stands...

19:50 Nadal begins to mix his play up attacking the net and staying behind the baseline whipping his groundstrokes to all angles... he hasn't the flair of Gasquet but plays like a top-ranked player... he holds to love... NADAL 2-1

19:48 Corretja holds to love as the 17-year-old Nadal flashes returns out... settling in slowly... CORRETJA levels 1-1

19:45 Nadal starts with a double, but quickly the blistering pace off the ground returns and the forehand becomes a flash... scrambling well he flicks the ball past an approaching Corretja and wraps up the opener... NADAL 1-0

19:42 Nadal to open up the match... play!

19:41 Their warm-up done, they head to their chairs and sip at their water... play almost beginning!

19:32 As the pair begin their knock-up... it's worth recalling their one and only meeting... in the round of 32 Corretja beat Nadal this year in Barcelona 3-6 6-2 6-1... Nadal is more confident now and fancies his chances tonight!

19:28 Onto the court the sensation walks: Nadal first, Alex Corretja following. The battle of the generations... Corretja in all white, Nadal in familiar white headband and blue top...

13:30 The match between Rafael Nadal and Alex Corretja will be featured in tonight's text commentary. Their match will start, not before 19:30cet.

13:00 Welcome to eurosport.com/co.uk's live scoring of the Madrid Masters first round, at the Club de Campo!

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