The loss to Ukrainian Alexander Dolgopolov came just two days after Nadal won the grass-court title in Stuttgart.
Dolgopolov prevailed 6-3, 6-7, 6-4 at the Queen’s Club in London, to record his second straight win over Nadal
“I was a break up in the third, and then he played some good points,” said Nadal. “I missed a few balls… Nothing to say against me. I played against an uncomfortable player in the first round here and I had my chance. I didn’t play a bad match, but matches here are sometimes decided by just a few things, and I was not lucky enough today. I probably didn’t play enough aggressive when I was up a break at 4-3,” said Nadal.
But Dolgopolov saw the match in a different light: “Overall I’m really happy with the match,” he said. “Not even because I beat Nadal but the way I played and the way I fought back after a disappointing second set. I think overall I had a really good match.”
Dolgopolov had failed to close out the match at 6-5 in the second set tie-break, and fell behind to start the third as he dropped serve in the fourth game. He came back strong, winning the final four games to clinch the victory after two hours and 13 minutes.
World No. 10 Nadal had reached the quarter-finals or better in his five previous visits to the Queen’s Club, claiming the title in 2008 by defeating Novak Djokovic in the final.
Dolgopolov had also edged Nadal last year in a third set tie-break in the third round of the BNP Paribas Open, and called the Queen’s Club victory more significant considering his circumstances.
“I had a rough end of the last year,” he said. “I had surgery. I didn’t have a really good start of this year. I had some injuries. So it’s important, confidence wise and to get back on the level I would like to be on. In Indian Wells, I had a really good run, so I was more waiting for that win. I was more believing that I could do it. Here I think it was more important for me.”
Dolgopolov, a quarter-finalist last year at this grass-court tournament, snapped a three-match losing streak with Tuesday’s win. He will next play Spaniard Guillermo Garcia-Lopez.