Rafael Nadal out of French Open in shock tennis defeat  

Rafael Nadal's incredible winning record at the French Open came to an end on Sunday after a surprise defeat in the fourth round to Sweden's Robin Soderling.

The 22-year-old Spaniard, who's never lost at the annual tournament and has taken the title in the last four years, saw his unbeaten 31-match run at Roland Garros come to an end after losing 6-2, 6-7, (2-7), 6-4, 7-6, (7-2).

Underdog Robin, 24, had lost his last three matches against the world number one, including one in Rome last month. 

Speaking after the match, Rafael said: "Defeats never make you grow, but you also realise how difficult what I achieved up until now was." 

"You need a defeat to give value to your victories."

The Manacor-born athlete, who celebrates his 23rd birthday on Wednesday, is now preparing to defend his grass court title at Wimbledon which gets underway next month

 

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