EASY DOES IT FOR NADAL, DJOKOVIC
PARIS— For nine minutes, Yannick Hanfmann dared to dream as the world No. 184 from Germany carved out four break points on the serve of Rafael Nadal.
But the 11-time champion saved them all in the first game of the match and that was about as good as it got for Hanfmann as the world number two cruised to a 6-2, 6-1, 63 win on Monday.
“That first game was disappointing,” said the 27-year-old Hanfmann, who arrived in Paris with just one win to his name this year.
He had earned just $3,600 since the turn of the year while Nadal has already banked $3.7 million in the same period.
“I feel like in the first game I did some good returns. And obviously Rafa is also a bit nervous.”
In the end, Hanfmann became Nadal’s 87th victim at Roland Garros, but he took comfort from seeing the great Spaniard from up close.
Novak Djokovic laid down an early marker in his bid to hold all four Grand Slam titles simultaneously for the second time, powering past Polish youngster Hubert Hurkacz.
The 15-time major champion impressed in a 6-4, 6-2, 6-2 triumph and will face Swiss lucky loser Henri Laaksonen in round two.
“Now I know how it feels to have a guy like him, he has such a unique game on clay.”
For the 32-year-old Nadal, next up is another German qualifier in the shape of Yannick Maden, ranked at 114.
He had won just one match on tour in 2019 before he doubled that tally on Monday by beating Belgium’s Kimmer Coppejans 7-6 (7/0), 7-5, 6-3 to give him a second round clash with Nadal.