Shoulder Injury Ends Nadal’s Hopes

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Rafael Nadal’s hopes of capturing his first grass court title were brought to an end in the quarterfinals of the 2006 Stella Artois Championships after the Spaniard retired from his match with Lleyton Hewitt because of a left shoulder injury with the scores at one set all.

“I feel lot of pain here,” said Nadal afterwards, indicating his shoulder. “The pain beginning in the final games of first set, and go more, go more. It is stupid, continuing to play, because I can't serve tough. I speak with the physio, and if I continue, it can go worse. So I can't continue, 'cause if I go with the arm like this (raising his arm), I feel pain.”

The top seed, who was the first Roland Garros champion to play at The Queen’s Club since Ivan Lendl in 1984, was looking to extend his winning streak to 27 matches as he faced Hewitt for the fifth time. But after Hewitt levelled the match at 3-6, 6-3, Nadal decided more treatment could not help his cause and he shook the Australian’s hand.

Things had started well for the 20-year-old Nadal, who saved break points in his opening service game before going on to take the first set 6-3. But Nadal began to feel pain in his shoulder towards the end of the set, and needed treatment midway through the second.

“I was playing my best match here today, maybe,” said Nadal. “I was playing very good with my forehand, especially with my backhand, and then serving good, normal, no? I am a lot running the second set. Very aggressive. Maybe today I improve my game, no?”

Despite the setback, Nadal was delighted with his Stella Artois debut. “I know is a very good experience, very good tournament for me. Is very difficult come here after Roland Garros, and won two matches and have little bit chance today in quarterfinals. So is a very good tournament for me. But I don't know now, because I feel pain here and I want to go to see my doctor.”

Nadal will return to Mallorca today for treatment in the hope of being fit for Wimbledon in less than two weeks’ time.

For Hewitt, the win means he is through to his sixth Queen’s Club semifinal, where he will meet Britain’s Tim Henman on Saturday.

“He just said he had a bit of soreness in his shoulder,” said Hewitt of Nadal. “I said, I guess you get that after winning so many matches.”

He added: “I felt like my ball?striking out there was pretty good today. It's not easy to try and dictate play against a guy that has a swing at everything. Sometimes you even feel like you've got good depth out there, and he's still able to put an extremely big hit on it.

“You have to try and think. I stood up in the court. I felt like I tried to dictate play when I had the chances. You know, all in all, I served pretty well. You know, the game that I lost in the first set, I just didn't quite make enough first serves. Apart from that, you know, I felt like I was serving reasonably well.”

Looking ahead to his ninth meeting with Henman, having defeated him the first eight times before his loss to the Briton in Miami earlier this year, Hewitt said: “I think he's been playing reasonably well this whole year really. His results probably haven't stood out that he's been playing fantastic tennis, but I think all in all I haven't seen him play too many really average matches…He's coming in this year in a different situation than he probably ever has before, under the radar a little bit, and maybe that holds him in good stead.”

Hewitt is looking to join John McEnroe and Boris Becker as the only four-time winners of the Stella Artois Championships, having won three consecutive titles between 2000-02, defeating Henman in both the 2001 and 2002 finals.

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