Hugo Dellien went out in the first round of the 2020 Australian Open (Image credit: AFP)
Hugo Dellien might not have won a single set against Rafael Nadal in the first round of the Australian Open.
However, the 26-year-old did put up a strong showing against one of the best in the world.
Nadal is the World No.1 and a hot favourite to win his 20th Grand Slam, and his second in Australia.
The Spaniard had some great words for his opponent after the match and wished him the best for the future.
Although Dellien’s tournament came to an end here, the Bolivian was extremely pleased with facing the legend.
The 26-year-old was speaking to Mundo Deportivo and suggested it was a dream to face Nadal:
“I fulfilled a dream by playing with him.”
Dellien even joked about the fact that he used to play as Nadal on several games too:
“For me, it was like being in a video game because I used to play console using Nadal as a player and today I was in front of him as a rival”
The Spaniard has been in great form over the past two seasons and won a couple of Grand Slams in 2019 too.
The 33-year-old looked good to win his second Australian Open last year too but was defeated at the final hurdle by Novak Djokovic in straight sets.
It has been a remarkable turnaround for the Spaniard as he was struggling with several injuries a while back.
However, this version of Nadal could be the best we have seen in years. The 33-year-old also got married in 2019 to long-time girlfriend Maria Francisca Perello.
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Nadal spoke after the match and went on to say that getting married was the best moment of 2019, even more than winning a couple of Grand Slams.
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