Nadalgoesretro,beginswithwin
World No. 1 dons sleeveless Tshirt, pink shorts, bands to revive mid2000s; routs Burgos
MELBOURNE: If Rafael Nadal gave the Australian Open a throwback feel last year with his straight-out-of-the-mid-2000s final against Roger Federer, he’s completed the retro effect this year with a return to his sartorial roots — a sleeveless T-shirt.
Matching the muscle-exposing tank top with neon pink shorts, wristbands and headband, Nadal also found his championship form again in a 6-1, 6-1, 6-1 rout of 37-year-old Victor Estrella Burgos in the first round at Melbourne Park.
The top-ranked Spaniard, who made a splash as a teenager with his trademark sleeveless shirts and knee-length pirate pants, came into this year’s Australian Open with questions about his health and readiness to compete following a taxing season that saw him capture two Grand Slams and return to No. 1.
Nadal had been forced to withdraw from the ATP Finals in November due to a lingering right knee injury, and when the pain persisted, he also pulled out of a season-opening exhibition event in Abu Dhabi and his first tournament in Brisbane.
With only a few exhibition matches last week to test his form, Nadal had doubts he’d be ready to go in time for the first major of the year. But a dominant performance against Estrella Burgos - he had 28 winners and saved five of six break points he faced - left him feeling positive about his start in Melbourne.
“If I don’t feel myself ready, I will not be here. So I am happy to be here, happy that I’m on court again,” he said.
Nadal, who wore no protective strapping on his knee, took his Australian Open record to 52-11. “It’s a positive start with a good result. If I do months without playing an official match, it’s always a little bit more difficult,” he said.
“But I started with positive feelings. That’s the most important thing for me now.
“Of course, there are things to improve. But the thing that I need to improve, the matches will give me those things. Victories are the most important thing now.” YUKI FALTERS Yuki Bhambri struggled to rein in his unforced errors and played well only in patches as his third Australian Open appearance ended with a straight-set first-round defeat at the hands of seasoned Marcos Baghdatis.
The 25-year-old Indian qualifier, ranked 122, had his chances against world No. 103 Cypriot, but unforced errors cost him the match 6-7(4), 4-6, 3-6 after two hours and nine minutes.
Bhambri is yet to win a round in the main draw of a Grand Slam and the Australian Open is the only Major he has played. In 2015, when he came through the qualifiers, Bhambri lost to Andy Murray. In 2016, when he made the cut after breaking into top-100, he drew Tomas Berdych and again failed to go beyond first round.
DIMITROV WINS Bulgaria’s Grigor Dimitrov opened his bid for a first Grand Slam title with a comfortable 6-3, 6-2, 6-1 win over Austrian qualifier Dennis Novak in the first round. World No.3 Dimitrov needed one hour and 38 minutes to prevail over the player 220 spots lower than him on the ATP rankings in their first ever meeting. Jelena Ostapenko (LAT x7) bt
Francesca Schiavone (ITA) 6-1, 6-4 Zhang Shuai (CHN) bt Sloane Stephens (USA x13) 2-6, 7-6 (7/2),
6-2
Belinda Bencic (SUI) bt Venus Williams (USA x5) 6-3, 7-5
Timea Babos (HUN) bt Coco Vandeweghe (USA x10) 7-6 (7/4), 6-2 Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova (RUS x15) bt Kateryna Kozlova (UKR) 3-6, 6-4, 6-3
Caroline Wozniacki (DEN x2) bt
Mihaela Buzarnescu (ROM) 6-2, 6-3 Elina Svitolina (UKR x4) bt Ivana Jorovic (SRB) 6-3, 6-2