Rafael Nadal has admitted that his best was not good enough when he suffered a crushing defeat by Dustin Brown in the second round of Wimbledon championship on Thursday.
Brown, the German qualifier, ranked number 102 astounded spectators at Wimbledon’s Centre Court with astonishing displays to knock-out the former world number one tennis player and two-time Wimbledon champion.
The 29-year-old Spaniard had set himself on the cusp of major upset in his career against the lowly ranked Brown by losing a first set that had been a fine contest 5-7 before winning the second set 6-3, before the tide turned once more as avalanche of unforced errors orchestrated further loss of 4-6, 4-6 to end his 2015 Wimbledon campaign.
Nadal has admitted that he performed below his best in the game. He wondered whether he will regain the form that once made him the top tennis player. “I’m not good enough. I don’t know if I will be back to the level of 2008 or other years,” he said.
However, the Spaniard refused to give up, insisting that his defeat by Dustin Brown would not the end of his career. “It is a sad moment; but life continues. My career, too. I have to keep going, to keep working,” he said.
He insisted he was working towards rediscovering his form. His words: “My aim is to get back to the level I had from 2008 to 2010. In a while we will see where I am, where I can get to and where I can’t. If I carry on like this for two more years, we’ll see.”
By Olisemeka Obeche
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