Pedro Cachin has spoken about Rafael Nadal’s aura that evoked fear in him during his third-round loss to the Spaniard at the ongoing Madrid Open.

Cachin made a disastrous start against Nadal, managing to win a solitary game in the first set, as the former ATP World No. 1 looked in cruise control of the match. However, the Argentine roared back into the contest after clinching the second set 7-6(5). Ultimately though, Cachin could not maintain his momentum in the deciding set, as Nadal won it 6-3 and reached the fourth round.

Following his loss to the five-time Madrid Open winner, Cachin talked about Nadal’s transcendental “aura”. The Argentine admitted that he felt fear before the match which affected his game during the one-sided first set.

“I went in with even more fear than I imagined. Rafa has an aura that transcends what you can imagine and makes you feel it. I was able to get out of those bad moments in the first set, where I made many mistakes,” Cachin said during a press conference.

The Argentine also said that despite his best attempts during the warm-up, he failed to ease his nerves, which had a telling effect on his serve. However, he confessed that he was able to relax in the second set, and as a result, was able to compete with Nadal, despite ultimately losing the match.

“From the warm-up I was paying attention to details to go getting rid of those nerves, but in the first game I noticed the nerves. I didn’t make a single serve, my head played tricks on me, but I trusted that I would loosen up and that he would help me a little. That happened in the second set, and I started. From there I was able to compete at the highest level and enjoy it a lot,” Cachin added.

Pedro Cachin exited the Madrid Open with a souvenir from Rafael Nadal

After Nadal converted the match point, the Spaniard exchanged warm words and an embrace with Cachin. The pair conversed in Spanish and eventually, it became evident that Cachin requested the former ATP World No. 1 for his shirt.

“It’s a dream come true for me, I’m not sure what is the protocol, but can I ask you for a shirt?”, Cachin asked Nadal (translated from Spanish).

Nadal duly obliged, making the Argentine’s day despite his exit from the ATP Masters 1000 tournament. Next up for Nadal is 30th seed Jiri Lehecka in the fourth round.