Barty bagels, Rafael roars

Melbourne, Feb. 9: Rafael Nadal’s injured back didn’t slow his bid for a record 21st Grand Slam title on Tuesday, as women’s world number one Ashleigh Barty romped to a 6-0, 6-0 ‘double bagel’ at the Australian Open.

On a day when women’s champion Sofia Kenin also reached round two, but two-time winner Victoria Azarenka lost after breathing problems, Nadal and Barty were the headline acts at the coronavirusdelayed Slam.

Spanish great Nadal, who pulled out of last week’s ATP Cup with back problems, beat Serbia’s Laslo Djere 6-3, 6-4, 6-1 in one hour and 52 minutes on a sun-kissed Rod Laver Arena.

After world number one Novak Djokovic eased through late on Monday, Russia’s Daniil Medvedev extended his winning streak to 15 matches with an emphatic 6-2, 6-2, 6-4 victory over Canada’s Vasek Pospisil.

Russian seventh seed Andrey Rublev also continued his winning start to the year with a straightsets victory over German Yannick Hanfmann 6-3, 6-3, 6-4.

And Greek fifth seed Stefanos Tsitsipas made short work of French veteran Gilles Simon, winning 6-1, 6-2, 6-1 in 92 minutes.

ASHLEIGH’S PARTY ON

Barty also outclassed Montenegro’s Danka Kovinic, losing only 10 points as she raced into round two in just 44 minutes. With the win Barty, last year’s semifinalist who sat out most of the 2020 season, ramped up hopes of a first Australian women’s winner in 43 years.

Women’s champion Kenin was less convincing and she audibly vented her frustrations during her 7-5, 6-4 win against Australian Maddison Inglis, who is ranked outside the top 100.

Two-time major-winner Garbine Muguruza of Spain had little trouble beating Russia’s Margarita Gasparyan 6-4, 6-0.