LONDON: Rafael Nadal suffered a shock first-round exit from the Wimbledon warm-up event as the Spanish star was beaten 6-3, 6-7 (6-8), 6-4 by unheralded Ukrainian Alexandr Dolgopolov here at Queen’s Club on Tuesday.

Dolgopolov forced the pace and the 26-year-old secured the first break in the second game, unfurling a spectacular cross-court forehand winner on the run.

Dolgopolov continued to dominate from the baseline as he closed out the set.

In the second set tie-break, a blistering forehand at 5-5 gave Dolgopolov a match point, but Nadal saved it with a nerveless serve.

The fifth seed then produced a perfect volley to secure a set point that he converted when Dolgopolov dragged a backhand wide.

Nadal looked firmly in control after breaking in the third game of the final set, but he let the momentum, and a 4-2 lead, slip away when he allowed Dolgopolov to break back.

Nadal at 4-4 wasted three break points and that proved the decisive moment when Dolgopolov unloaded a searing winner on match-point in the next game to steal a sensational victory.

Earlier, French Open champion Stanislas Wawrinka of Switzerland beat Australia’s Nick Kyrgios’s 6-3, 6-4.

Meanwhile, defending champion Grigor Dimitrov defeated Sam Querrey 4-6, 6-3, 6-4.

Published in Dawn, June 17th, 2015

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