Defending champion Rafael Nadal battled previous a person 15 years his junior and kickstart his bid for a record-extending twenty third Grand Slam title on the Australian Open Monday.
The Spanish prime seed unleashed a few of his trademark hammer forehands, but additionally 46 unforced errors, earlier than carrying down Briton Jack Draper 7-5, 2-6, 6-4, 6-1 in blistering warmth on Rod Laver Arena.
It put him into the second spherical for a seventeenth time and stretched his win-loss report at Melbourne Park to 77-15.
He will subsequent play Mackenzie Mcdonald, who beat fellow American Brandon Nakashima in a five-set thriller.
“Super pleased to be again right here in Australia yet one more time. It’s just like the nineteenth season within the skilled tour so very enthusiastic about this new starting,” he stated.
“It’s a victory I wanted. I performed in opposition to one of many hardest opponents doable within the first spherical. He’s younger, he has the facility and I believe he has an ideal future in entrance of him.”
But it was a troublesome slog for the 36-year-old who had misplaced six of his previous seven matches, together with his opening two this 12 months.
Little separated them in a primary set notable for a weird incident during which Nadal complained one his of racquets had gone lacking.
He stored his cool and waited for his probability, which got here at 6-5 on Draper’s serve when he earned a set level and transformed with a searing cross-court winner.
But Nadal misplaced focus within the second set as Draper raised his sport and raced to a 4-0 lead earlier than sealing the set.
The Spaniard regrouped and broke early within the third set to maneuver 4-1 in entrance, successful the lengthy rallies. Draper wanted repeated therapy on his higher proper leg, however in opposition to the chances broke again earlier than Nadal once more stepped up.
Draper was clearly struggling, grimacing in ache at occasions, and Nadal confirmed no mercy to race by the fourth set to victory.
Nadal created historical past on the identical courtroom final 12 months together with his five-set victory over Daniil Medvedev within the ultimate.
It noticed him declare possession of the report for many Grand Slam males’s singles titles on 21 forward of Novak Djokovic and Roger Federer.
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He added a twenty second at Roland Garros, whereas Djokovic gained Wimbledon to maneuver onto 21.
Nadal’s 2022 run in Melbourne got here within the absence of nine-time champion Djokovic, who’s again this 12 months and begins his marketing campaign on Tuesday.
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