Nadal suffers shocking Wimbledon defeat

Saturday, June 30, 2012 - London—Rafael Nadal crashed to his worst grand slam defeat in seven years this morning as lowly Czech Lukas Rosol pulled off one of the greatest upsets in Wimbledon history.

Rosol, ranked 100th in the world, stunned the two-time Wimbledon champion and 11-time grand slam title winner 6-7 (9/11), 6-4, 6-4, 2-6, 6-4.

The Czech’s previous visits to Wimbledon had ended in five successive first round losses in qualifying.

Rosol is the lowest ranked player Nadal has lost to in a grand slam and the defeat is also the Spaniard’s earliest exit at a major since the same stage of the 2005 Wimbledon championship when he was beaten by Luxembourg’s Gilles Muller.

“In the fifth set he played more than unbelievable,” Nadal told a news conference. “First three sets I didn’t play well.

“It wasn’t the best decision for me to close the roof but I have to accept it and he came back to play unbelievable in the fifth.

“He is able to hit the ball very hard without feeling the pressure so everything was going right for him in the fifth. I am very very disappointed.”

Rosol was scarcely more believing of his achievement than the shocked audience in attendance.—AP