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Rising star Maximilian Marterer believes that he performed just well against world No. 1 Rafael Nadal. No. 1 seed Nadal defeated the 22-year-old in the French Open last-16 6-3 6-2 7-6 (4). World No. 70 Marterer broke Nadal in the opening game of the match but the Spaniard quickly turned things around.
The German also had a 3-1 lead in the third set but failed to capitalize as Nadal forced a tie-break and sealed the win in straight sets. It was the first-ever meeting between the two. The match was played on French Open's biggest court -- Court Philippe Chatrier.
"When you hear how Nadal is being announced on Chatrier, that hits you pretty hard but I think I dealt with everything pretty well today," Marterer said post-match. Marterer was having his debut appearance at Roland Garros.
The German failed to qualify for the French Open last year. Marterer defeated Ryan Harrison, Denis Shapovalov and Jurgen Zopp in his debut Roland Garros campaign on his way to setting up a clash against record 10-time French Open champion Nadal.
The 22-year-old will now turn his focus to the upcoming grass season. Also read: French Open sensation Marco Cecchinato: 'For me it's a dream'