'We have long run out of words to describe what Rafael Nadal does', says ace

• Tennis News
• Rafael Nadal

John McEnroe called Rafael Nadal a "superman" after the Spaniard pulled off a shock victory over Taylor Fritz at Wimbledon. In the Wimbledon quarterfinals, Nadal overcame an abdominal injury to beat Fritz 3-6, 7-5, 3-6, 7-5, 7-6 (4).

It didn't look good for Nadal when he was down a set and when he required off-court medical intervention. When Nadal returned, it was evident that his serve was affected and that he was serving slower than usual. Still, he managed to find a way to beat Fritz.

"He's like a superman or something," McEnroe told the BBC. "I thought the kryptonite had hit him because he didn't look like he was going to finish a few times, but he found a way. It was a match where Taylor Fritz played amazing tennis for a long time.

He is an amazing ball hitter. He has a great serve, but Nadal was a genius. He knows that Fritz does not feel so comfortable in the network and he exposed him. Nadal tried every trick in the book and in the end apologized for beating him when he wasn't one hundred percent.

That's hard." One of the main reasons for Nadal and Djokovic's success at Grand Slams is that they are almost unbeatable in matches that end in a long five-set duel. On Wednesday, Nadal was between a rock and a hard place, but still he managed to overcome an injury and a very tough opponent.

"These guys find a way to get through five sets," McEnroe added.

Feliciano Lopez pays tribute to Nadal

Spanish tennis player Feliciano Lopez praised his compatriot Rafael Nadal. "When he is healthy there are very few players who can beat him," said Lopez.

"We have long run out of words to describe what Rafa does. You have to enjoy it because at 36 years old that a player is able to win two Grand Slams in the circumstances that he has, it is very difficult to explain in words what he is doing." The former World No.

12 added that he agrees with Nadal's decision to withdraw from Wimbledon. "I think it's the best decision he could make because of the circumstances," Lopez acknowledged. "Rafa plays the Grand Slams to win them and it doesn't make sense for him to jump on the court in those conditions and there is also the risk of hurting himself more and endangering the rest of the season."