Nadal overcomes challenge from Bolelli at French Open
Ten-time champion Rafael Nadal fought off a strong challenge by Italian lucky loser Simone Bolelli in the first round of the French Open on Tuesday, yet still advanced in straight sets.
Nadal improved his Paris record to 80-2 with a 6-4, 6-3, 7-6 (9) rain-interrupted win completed over two days on Court Philippe Chatrier after saving four set points in the tiebreaker.
Nadal, once again the overwhelming favourite on his favourite surface after claiming clay titles in Monte Carlo, Barcelona and Rome, trailed 6-3 in the tiebreaker but fended off Bolelli’s chances in impressive fashion: the top-ranked Spaniard hit an ace, a backhand volley and a crosscourt winner in succession.
Mixing well deep groundstrokes with subtle shots, Bolelli obtained another set point with a backhand drop shot when to lead 7-6, but Nadal hit a service winner on the next point.
“I went through tough moments, it’s important for the future,” Nadal said.
This match was one of the six encounters halted on Monday night because of rain. After some more raindrops interrupted play again on Tuesday morning, Nadal came back on court in full swing.
Nadal won the first three games on the day but the 129th-ranked Bolelli raised his level and managed a series of good returns. Nadal saved four break points in the eighth game of the final set, including one with a ferocious trademark cross-court forehand winner.
“It was a very difficult match,
■ Simone played very aggressively, he had many chances in the third set,” Nadal said.
Third-seeded Marin Cilic also started his Paris campaign with a straight-set win over James Duckworth while up-and-coming Canadian teenager Denis Shapovalov got past John Millman 7-5, 6-4, 6-2.
Shapovalov, from Richmond Hill, Ont., rallied from a 5-2 deficit in the first set, fighting off one set point in the process.
After a rail delay halted play for an hour with Shapovalov trailing 3-2 in the second set, the Canadian lost just three games the rest of the way.
Shapovalov, 19, compiled a 32-9 edge in winners and converted six of 12 break points.
A year after losing in the opening round of qualifying in Paris, he is the second-youngest man in the French Open field.
Shapovalov will face Maximilian Marterer of Germany, ranked 70th in the world, in the second round. Marterer defeated American Ryan Harrison 6-1, 6-3, 7-5 on Tuesday.
Among others advancing were No. 6 seed Kevin Anderson and No. 9 John Isner.
In women’s play, competing as a mom for the first time at a major, and only about nine months since giving birth to her daughter, Serena Williams beat 70th-ranked Kristyna Pliskova of the Czech Republic 7-6 (4), 6-4 at Roland Garros.
“I’m just happy to win a match here,” Williams told the crowd in Court Philippe Chatrier.
“I’m just happy to take it a day at a time.”