Rafael Nadal overcomes hitting himself in face with own racket to beat Fabio Fognini in US Open second round

Rafael Nadal overcomes hitting himself in face with own racket to beat Fabio Fognini in US Open second round

Rafael Nadal defeated Fabio Fognini in the second round of the US Open after accidentally smacking himself in the face with his own racket.

On Thursday night in Arthur Ashe Stadium, the 36-year-old overcame a sluggish start to defeat Fognini over four sets, 2-6 6-4 6-2 6-1.

But the 22-time grand slam winner was left bleeding during a tense moment in the set that proved to be the decisive one.

Nadal's racket accidentally struck the Spaniard in the face as he reached out to return a backhand to Fognini.

Immediately after, Nadal grabbed his nose and dropped his racket, giving up the point. In order to demonstrate the blood that had started to run from his nose, he laid down on the court near the umpire's chair.

He required a medical timeout to get treatment for the wound, then came back to finish the set. Nadal downplayed the issue during the victory, stating that he only had "a little bit pain, honestly, but okay."

"It was simply a powerful strike. Since it was a shock at first, I initially believed I had broken my nose. Was quite painful," Nadal said.

"I lost a little bit of the emotion in my brain. I don't know how to explain it in English. It has to do with living a little bit outside of society.

"I'm not sure, but it doesn't appear to be (broke). I'm not yet certain. I'm not sure. It seems to be growing steadily, in my opinion.

No, that's simply a shock, he said with a chuckle, "I deserved to play that poorly for a time!"

Nadal had to fight back from a rare bad start in addition to overcoming a bruised nose.

In the opening two sets, the Spaniard committed 27 unforced mistakes and lost service in five games, including four consecutive occasions. "One of the worst beginnings, possibly ever," he said.

"But it's all part of the fun. You must be modest and accept the circumstances. I've had a difficult month, so I'm aware that something like this might occur. It presents me with another chance. Even after a match like this, I'm still here. That is really significant."