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WIMBLEDON, England - Who could blame Rafael Nadal and Robin Soderling for being a bit sick and tired of each other and, well, Wimbledon as a whole?
They did, after all, spend an awful lot of time trying to finish their third-round match, until the No. 2-seeded Nadal finally won 6-4, 6-4, 6-7 (7), 4-6, 7-5 Wednesday, more than 90 hours after the pair first stepped on Court 1 to warm up.
Still, the on-court animosity and verbal shots traded afterward were hardly in keeping with the genteel setting. The usually affable Nadal, in particular, had harsh words for Soderling — and questioned tournament organizers.
“He’s a strange guy,” Nadal said. “I’ve said ’Hi’ to him at least seven times since I’ve been on the tour and he’s never answered back. I asked other players about it. It doesn’t only happen to me.”
Nadal was critical of the way Soderling appeared unconcerned when the three-time French Open champion fell to the turf at one point. Nadal also didn’t like the way Soderling pumped a fist instead of offering the customary “sorry about that” wave of a hand after winning a point with the help of a favorable net cord.
“He must have been in his complaining mood today,” the 28th-seeded Soderling said. “If my opponent gets a lucky shot and he doesn’t say, ’I’m sorry,’ I don’t care. For me, it’s OK. Why should I say I’m sorry when it’s the happiest moment of my life?”
The last straw for Nadal: What he considered a halfhearted handshake at the net when their marathon ended.
“After four days,” Nadal said, “that’s not normal.”
Told of Nadal’s comments, Soderling responded: “I’d probably say the same, but I won’t do that. I keep it to myself.”
On Monday, Soderling was upset that Nadal persisted in his slow, between-point rituals that many players have complained about, including Andre Agassi at Wimbledon last year. With Nadal ready to serve the opening game of the fifth set, Soderling walked deliberately to the sideline to change rackets — sending a message.
When Soderling returned to the baseline, Nadal stopped his service motion and held up the ball, as if to say, “Ready now?” That’s when Soderling turned away from Nadal and tugged at the back of his shorts, mimicking one of the Spaniard’s habits and drawing guffaws from fans.
Remember, that all happened Monday, when there were three rain delays — including one right after Nadal missed a forehand on match point at 7-6 in the third-set tiebreaker. By the time they had to stop Monday night after 8 p.m., Soderling had won that set and the fourth, too. Nadal, though, led 2-0 in the fifth.
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When they picked up again Tuesday, they got in a total of 19 minutes, enough for Soderling to even the set at 4-all. Sometimes, matches don’t resume immediately after rain stops because weather reports predict more precipitation on the way, but Nadal and Soderling were ushered out onto court for stints of eight and 11 minutes.
“That’s very tough for the players,” said Nadal, last year’s Wimbledon runner-up. “They don’t think very much about the players here, maybe.”
The United States completed a 5-0 rout of Switzerland in the Davis Cup on Sunday, with 19-year-old Ryan Harrison and John Isner winning closing singles matches.
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Zambia has won the African Cup of Nations, beating pre-tournament favorite Ivory Coast 8-7 on penalties in a dramatic final at Stade de l'Amitie.
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