Get all your news in one place.
100's of premium titles.
One app.
Start reading
The Independent UK
The Independent UK
National
Howard Fendrich

The man who ended Nadal's career helps the Netherlands take a Davis Cup lead against Germany

Spain Germany Netherlands Tennis Davis Cup - (Copyright 2024 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.)

The last man to face — and beat — Rafael Nadal in professional tennis, 80th-ranked Botic van de Zandschulp, gave the Netherlands a 1-0 lead over Germany in the Davis Cup semifinals Friday by hanging on to defeat Daniel Altmaier 6-4, 6-7 (12), 6-3 on his 10th match point.

“At some point, I didn't know what to do any more on the match points," van de Zandschulp said. “I had the toughest match of my life on Tuesday (against Nadal), so everything that comes next is maybe a little bit easier.”

Sign up to read this article
Read news from 100's of titles, curated specifically for you.
Already a member? Sign in here
Related Stories
Top stories on inkl right now
One subscription that gives you access to news from hundreds of sites
Already a member? Sign in here
Our Picks
Fourteen days free
Download the app
One app. One membership.
100+ trusted global sources.