This week, ATPTour.com continues its annual season-in-review series, looking back at 2022’s best matches, biggest upsets, most dramatic comebacks and more. In this installment, we look back at the best comebacks on the ATP Tour this season (excluding the Grand Slams), featuring Nitto ATP Finals competitors Stefanos Tsitsipas, Felix Auger-Aliassime and Rafael Nadal. On Tuesday we will focus on the best Grand Slam comebacks of the year.
5) BNP Paribas Open, R2, Nadal d Korda 6-2, 1-6, 7-6(3)
Rafael Nadal‘s perfect start to the season — a run which included three titles — was on the line in Indian Wells, and the Spaniard stayed hot against Sebastian Korda by winning his 13th set in a row dating back to the Australian Open final.
But the American took command of the match on home soil, outhitting Nadal in a dominant second set and moving within two points of victory at 5-2 in the third. Once again, Nadal showcased his fighting spirit by clawing his way back from that double-break deficit, taking advantage of some late nerves from Korda, who idolised the Spaniard growing up.
Nadal broke easily to close to 3-5, then used two trademark passing shots to level the match at 5-5. After fending off a break point in the ensuing game, he was the steadier player in the tie-break as he won the final five points of the match.
Watch the full match replay on TennisTV.com.
“I thought I was lost today… and in Australia, very similar feeling,” Nadal said in his post-match presser, comparing his win against Korda to his miraculous comeback against Daniil Medvedev in the Aussie Open final. “But that doesn’t mean that I’m not going to keep trying or keep fighting.”
The then-35-year-old would extend his personal-best season start to 20-0 by reaching the Indian Wells final before falling to Taylor Fritz in a match which made our list of Biggest ATP Tour Upsets Of 2022.
4) Rakuten Japan Open Tennis Championships, R2, Kecmanovic d Evans 6-3, 3-6, 7-6(4)
On the fourth of what would be six match points saved, Miomir Kecmanovic hit one of the shots of his life to deny Daniel Evans victory in Tokyo. Emboldened after escaping 40/0 earlier in Evans’ 5-4 service game, the Serbian produced a superb defensive tweener to turn the point around at Ad-in.
“It was amazing, It’s the first time I ever made that shot in a match,” he said of the circus shot. “I’m beyond happy that I was able to do it.”
After four deuces and two more match points, Kecmanovic broke to level the…
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