Nick Kyrgios just advanced to his first Wimbledon finals, without picking up his racket. His would-be semifinal opponent, Rafael Nadal, announced Thursday that he was dropping out because of a torn abdominal muscle, reports ESPN. The AP notes that it's the first time since 1931 that a male player has withdrawn in advance from a semifinal or final match. “I made my decision because I believe that I can’t win two matches under these circumstances,” Nadal said at his news conference. “I can’t serve. It's not only that I can’t serve at the right speed, it’s that I can’t do the normal movement to serve.”
Nadal has won 22 major titles, while this is the first time the 40th-ranked Kyrgios, from Australia, has reached the finals of a major. CNN notes that Nadal, a 36-year-old from Spain, appeared to be playing through pain in his quarterfinal victory Wednesday over American Taylor Fritz. "We're sad to see it end this way," reads a tweet from the official Wimbledon account. "Thank you for another year of unforgettable moments at The Championships."
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