Tougher test lie ahead for Rafael Nadal at the French Open, but the record nine-time champion isn’t messing around in the early stages.
Nadal has dropped a mere nine games in two rounds after his game Thursday in Paris coming against Argentina’s Facundo Bagnis. And when the Spaniards dismissed the free-swing left-hander 6-3-6-0-6-3, he just became the eight man to record 200 wins at grand slam.
“The most important thing is a victory in the second round and not the 200 victories,” Nadal told reporters. “It’s only another number.”
.@RafaelNadal becomes 8th player in tennis history to notch 200 #GrandSlam match wins! Read: https://t.co/L47BQMjBHa pic.twitter.com/UAgq7usRCq— ATP World Tour (@ATPWorldTour) May 26, 2016
However, if he reaches the quarterfinals, Nadal would tie American Pete Sampras, the man he is level with on 14 grand slams – for seventh with 203 victories.
But even with an upturn in fortune during the tournaments leading up to the world’s premier clay-court event, this isn’t the same Nadal that was untouchable on these courts every year from 2005-2014, and barring one, 2009, when he exited in the fourth round.
In his last three majors overall, Nadal has failed to get beyond the third round.
Nadal should progress to the fourth round, though, given he hasn’t dropped a set in four matches against his next challenge, Marcel Granollers, and cruised past his countryman in Barcelona in April.
The first real challenge would come in the fourth round if Dominic Thiem is on the other side of the net. No one has notched more clay wins this year than the huge hitting Austrian, who drowned Guillermo Garcia Lopez 7-5-6-4-7-6 (7-3). Further more, world No. 1 Novak Djokovic looms.
Source: CNN
Source: CNN
Share It To Your Friends!
Loading...