Rafael Nadal fell to another early exit at Wimbledon on Thursday — this time to 102nd-ranked Dustin Brown. Nadal lost 7-5, 3-6, 6-4, 6-4 to the qualifier from Germany, who frustrated the Spaniard throughout with his aggressive serve-and-volley style.
It’s the fourth year in a row that Nadal leaves the All England Club early. The two-time champion lost in the second round in 2012, first round in 2013 and fourth round last year — with none of his opponents ranked higher than 100th.
This, however, was the first time Nadal has lost to a qualifier in a Grand Slam tournament. Before Wimbledon, Brown had only won back-to-back matches on the ATP tour once this year, reaching the quarterfinals in Doha.
(With inputs from AP)
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