Rafael Nadal was forced to dig deep to overcome German qualifier Peter Gojowczyk to reach his second career final in Doha and the Spaniard admits he must play much better if he plans on lifting the trophy.
An out-of-sorts Nadal dropped the opening set to Gojowczyk, who was playing his first ATP semi-final, but managed to turn things around and beat the 24-year-old 4-6, 6-2, 6-3 to set up a final date with Frenchman Gael Monfils.
“The positive thing is I am in the finals first week of the season without arriving here with the best preparation. Without playing my best, I was able to find solution,” said Nadal after the win.
“I need to play better than I did to have any chance tomorrow to win the trophy.”
The German made a thunderous start, winning the first nine points of the match on his way to a 3-0 lead, hitting winners from all corners of the court and pushing Nadal far behind the baseline.
“I’m very happy, because I won in the first three games, it was 3-0 up, and I lost maybe one point. Rafa was like ‘Oh, what’s going on?’ I think,” said Gojowczyk.
Nadal found his footing in the fourth game, holding serve to love and he broke back in the fifth game, breaking down Gojowczyk’s backhand after a long exchange.
The top seed levelled the set at 3-3 but was still unconvincing and continued to play defensively, allowing his opponent to dictate many of the points. A double fault in the 10th game gave Gojowczyk a set point and Nadal found himself trailing by a set, 44 minutes into the semi-final.
The Spaniard hit only two winners and 12 unforced errors in the opening set. Nadal stepped onto the court a new man in the second set, racing to a 4-0 lead.
He continued to dominate the set, coming more to the net and finding winners with his volleys and he took the set on his second chance when Gojowczyk’s backhand sailed wide.
It looked like it was going to be all over for Gojowczyk when Nadal broke his serve in the opening game of the final set, but the German broke back immediately. Still Nadal managed to up the ante as he broke again on his fourth chance of the third game and consolidated for a 3-1 lead.
The world No1 booked his place in the final with a signature insideout forehand winner.
“I tried to change a little bit and tried to be positive for the rest of the match, because the tennis was not there today,” said Nadal, who explained that a win in Doha would boost his chances at the upcoming Australian Open.
“I know to play well in a Grand Slam you have to be playing day by day, and when I was able to play well in the Grand Slams is because I arrived there playing well. I don’t believe in miracles. If you are not doing the right things before the Grand Slam, I don’t think inspiration can come like this (snapping fingers).”
Monfils reached his third final in the Qatari capital with a dominant 6-3, 6-2 win over Germany’s Florian Mayer.
The Frenchman, a former world No7 and currently ranked No31 in the world, has beaten Nadal on these very courts in Doha twice before in 2012 and 2009 – his only two wins in 10 meetings with the Spaniard.
Monfils finished off the win in 55 minutes. The second set was especially quick as Monfils lost six points in his four games serving and converted both of his break chances.
