Nadal and Federer advance to 2nd round in contrasting styles
NEW YORK (Reuters) – World No. 1 Rafael Nadal dismissed Dusan Lajovic 7-6(6), 6-2, 6-2 to ease into the US Open second round on Tuesday night, setting the Spaniard on a collision course for a long overdue Flushing Meadows showdown with Roger Federer, who survived in five sets against American teenager Frances Tiafoe.
While the year’s final Grand Slam is only just under way tennis fans have circled September 8 when, if all goes to form, Nadal and Federer would meet in the last four to decide a place in the final.
One of the great rivalries in sport, Federer, a five-time US Open winner and Nadal, twice champion, have clashed 37 times over the years but never have they stood across the net on Flushing Meadows’ hard-courts.
On French Open clay, Wimbledon’s manicured lawns and in Australian heat, the elegant Swiss maestro and muscular Spaniard have played for titles and while no trophy would be on the line a New York meeting would still have the Big Apple buzzing.
“Today I won. That’s the most important thing for me,” Nadal told reporters. “I believe that I am ready.”
After a sluggish run-up to the US Open that included a shock roundof-16 loss to Israeli-born Canadian teenager Denis Shapovalov in Montreal and another to Australian Nick Kyrgios in the Cincinnati quarterfinals, Nadal needed a few games to find his range against the 85th-ranked Serb.
The 21-year-old, chasing a first US Open win used his stylish groundstrokes to grab the early break on the way to 4-2 lead, the four games as many as he won in his only other meeting with Nadal, a round-of-16 loss at the 2014 French Open.
But a steely Nadal found his comfort zone, breaking back at 5-5 to force the opener to a tie-break that he took 8-6.
A ruthless Nadal delivered the young Serb another tennis lesson, breaking his opponent at the first opportunity in the second and third sets to improve his record in first round US Open matches to 13-0.
“Tough beginning of the match,” said Nadal. “The important thing is to win because it’s normal that you have some nerves and you get a little bit tight at the beginning of the tournament. So important thing is be through and that’s what I did today.”
Federer, meanwhile, ground out a 4-6, 6-2, 6-1, 1-6, 6-4 victory over Tiafoe in front of a raucous crowd under the LONG-TIME RIVALS Rafael Nadal (left) and Roger Federer (right) are still on track for their first meeting at the US Open, with each moving on to the second round after tough first-round tests on Tuesday night. lights at Arthur Ashe Stadium.
Tiafoe broke Federer in the first game of the match and bellowed out a loud “Come on!” when his forehand winner found the line to capture the opening set.
Federer, who has won this year’s Australian Open and Wimbledon since taking a six-month break last year, soon found his groove once he broke Tiafoe to take a 3-1 lead in the second set and reeled off nine of the next 10 games.
Due to rain, the speedy 2-hour and 35-minute five setter was played under a closed roof, which amplified the volume of the rowdy crowd.
In Wednesday’s early action, Nick Kyrgios could not shake off a shoulder pain or cope with his frustration as he slumped to a 6-3, 1-6, 6-4, 6-1 defeat by fellow Australian John Millman.
The 14th seed had treatment at the beginning of the third set after leveling at 1-1, but Kyrgios gradually appeared to lose interest in the match.
The 22-year-old received a warning for allegedly cursing and broke his racket as he produced a string of unforced errors.
After conceding defeat, Kyrgios wished good luck to Millman, who next faces Tunisia’s Malek Jaziri or Brazilian Thiago Monteiro.