Nadal forced to fight for victory
UNHERALDED ITALIAN MADE RAFA SWEAT
Rafael Nadal survived a mini-crisis to rack up his 80th win at Roland Garros yesterday as the 10-time champion defeated Italian lucky loser Simone Bolelli 6-4, 6-3, 7-6 (11/9) to reach the second round.
Nadal had to save four set points in the tiebreaker before wrapping up his victory. World No 1 Nadal had been two sets up but 0-3 down in the third when rain caused the match to be suspended late on Monday.
He quickly levelled at 3-3 yesterday, saved four break points in the eighth game before saving four set points. Nadal eventually claimed the match on a third match point when Bolelli dumped a forehand into the net.
Nadal, bidding for an 11th title in Paris and his 17th Slam, next faces Argentina’s Guido Pella for a place in the last-32.
“I really suffered today but it was a good test,” said Nadal who had been in danger of dropping his first set at Roland Garros since his 2015 quarterfinal loss to Novak Djokovic.
“It was very difficult. Simone is a very good player and he had lots of chances.”
Third seed Marin Cilic reached the second round with a 6-3, 7-5, 7-6 (7/4) win over Australia’s James Duckworth.
Wimbledon and Australian Open runner-up Cilic, 29, fired 47 winners and 13 aces past the 1 072th-ranked Duckworth who was playing his first match since the 2017 Australian Open.
Since that time, the 26-yearold has been battling a foot injury which required surgery in January 2017.
Canadian teenager Denis Shapovalov eased to a 7-5, 6-4, 6-2 victory over Australian John Millman in his first ever main-draw French Open match.
The 19-year-old, who lost in qualifying last year but is now the 24th seed, will next take on German world No 70 Maximilian Marterer for a place in the last-32.
With the headlines dominated by the returns of Williams and Sharapova, Romanian world No 1 Simona Halep will begin her latest bid to win a maiden Slam very much under the radar.
Halep, who blew a set and 3-0 lead to lose the 2017 final to Jelena Ostapenko, faces American Alison Riske, ranked 83rd. – AFP
Kevin Anderson and Raven Klaasen opened South Africa’s campaign in style at the French Open yesterday, romping to straight-sets victories in their firstround matches.
Anderson, the No 6 seed, had no trouble against Italian veteran Paolo Lorenzi as he secured a convincing 6-1, 6-2, 6-4 victory in the men’s singles competition.
Meanwhile, Klaasen and Michael Venus of New Zealand, who won the doubles title at Roland Garros last year with American Ryan Harrison, earned a 6-3, 6-3 win over Frenchmen Corentin Denolly and Alexandre Muller. –
Wesley Botton