Will it be 23? Rafa Nadal celebrates after three years without playing on grass and advances to Wimbledon. Photo REUTERS / Toby Melville
The Roland Garros champions aim to repeat themselves on the London lawn. The Spaniard won not without fighting the Argentine Francisco Cerúndolo; women’s tennis number 1 got off to an easy start. Diego Schwartzman and Sebastián Báez also win.
In 2022 Rafael Nadal became the first tennis player in history to win 14 titles in the same Grand Slam. He did it at Roland Garros, where Iga Swiatek repeated the glory he had already tasted in 2020. They have been separated for 15 years, given that the Spaniard is 36 and the Pole is 21, but in tennis they are two references that also try to reach the crown at Wimbledon. And they started off well.
“In these three years I have not set foot on the grass”, clarified Rafa after overcoming, not without suffering, the Argentine Francisco Cerúndolo, who encouraged the former world number 1 and current number 4 to even snatch a set and fight hard in the fourth in the victory for 6-4, 6 -3, 3-6 and 6-4. “All thanks to Fran. He started playing very well, it was very difficult. But for me it is a pleasure to come back after three years. I am always happy to play on this field, thanks to the crowd”, remarked the player from Palma di Palma. Mallorca, that dismissed his rival with applause, applauded in the Cathedral.
“It’s hard to adapt, it’s not the surface we play on most often, it took me some time to prepare for my first match and this was a test, early in the tournament, in the circumstances I came here. A little while ago , at The day after winning Roland Garros I was already training at Queen’s, but my body is gone. Everyone knows about my treatment. But the important thing is that I am at Wimbledon, that I won my first game and that the victory allows me to play again “, summed up Nadal, hadn’t played since winning the French Open earlier this month.
That lack of rhythm was evident, to the point where he made 41 unforced errors, against an opponent who gave him battle and also won a set, which gave him the confidence to win points with a lob, a drop and a straight. he was a Hell of the Potrian. In the fourth, even, Cerúndolo breaks immediately and goes 3-1, but Nadal extinguishes that flame that was lit in an Argentine who did not have that disqualifying respect for a player of Rafa’s stature.
On the net, Nadal even spoke to him and told him, according to what the 23-year-old tennis player told ESPN: “He congratulated me and told me that I had played a great game, that I had played very well and keep it up with my tennis. I also congratulated him on everything he has achieved in his career and wished him good luck for the future. “
After three hours and 34 minutes of play, and three years after his last presentation at the All England Center Court (in 2020 he did not play due to the pandemic and last year he did not play the tournament), the Spaniard has reached the his twenty second triumph of the season in a Grand Slam, after having consecrated himself to the Australian Open and Roland Garros, in addition to basing his 306th victory in a “Maggiore”figure exceeded only by the Swiss Roger Federer (369), by the American Serena Williams (365) and by Novak Djokovic (328), who does not participate in the tournament in which he is the most successful (with eight titles) due to an operation knee.
In the second round of a painting that was opened due to Matteo Berrettini’s coronavirus leavefinalist of the last edition, Nadal is now expected by the Lithuanian Ricardas Berankis, winner of the American Sam Querrey 6-4, 7-5 and 6-3.
Without cracks and with applause, this is how Iga Swiatek showed herself. Photo Glyn KIRK / AFP
Among women, even with the presence of seven-time champion Serena Williams in the All England Club draw, Iga Swiatek is the woman to beat. He won five tournaments before Paris in May, with consecutive titles in Doha, Indian Wells, Miami, Stuttgart and Rome. She and she were presented with a resounding victory on the All England Tennis center court.
The number one in the world came out triumphant during the expedition 6-0, 6-3 for the Croatian Jana Fett, 252 of the planet, and thus adds her 36th consecutive victory, a winning streak that included the seven games played in the recent French Open to claim his second Roland Garros title. This is the longest streak in the women’s group since 1997, when Martina Hingis chained 37 and, of course, the oldest of this century.
“It was my first game on grass this season, so I knew it could be difficult,” the Pole said in an interview on the pitch. “I’m trying to get into a rhythm – he continued – I’m happy to be able to put into practice the things I’ve been practicing in the last few days.”
Swiatek, once again wearing a pin with the colors of Ukraine on his hat, has a similarly overwhelming start since his closure at Roland Garros. But they were down 3-1 in the second set before bouncing back. Although he accumulated 15 unforced errors, he reacted in time to win the next five games.
Furthermore, right at the opening of the standings for Nadal, the next number one rival will be the Dutch Lesley Pattinama Kerkhove, who entered as ‘lucky loser’. Not bad for the Pole who doesn’t have her biggest rival in London, as Ashleigh Barty has retired and she won’t be able to defend the title.
El Peque and Báez go on
El Peque celebrated his victory at Wimbledon very much. Photo by AP / Kirsty Wigglesworth
Although Cerúndolo said goodbye, like Facundo Bagnis – lost in four sets against Austrian Dennis Novak -, two other Argentines showed up with the victory in London.
In the first round of the day, after rain prevented him from playing on Friday, Sebastián Báez took his first win on the main draw at Wimbledon.
Then Diego Schwartzman wins, who despite the strength of his scoreboard exploded with a rushing cry and clenching his fists after beating Stefan Kozlov (107 °), American of origin, 6-3, 6-2 and 6-2. Macedonian.
The 15th classified ATP fought for 2 hours and 24 minutes on the field 18. And he is already looking at his next rival, who will come from the cross between the British Liam Broady (143 ° in the standings and invited) and the Slovak Lukas Klein ( 243), coming from the qualifications.
For his part, Báez, world number 35 and this year’s Estoril ATP champion, defeated the Japanese Taro Daniel 6-4, 6-4, 7-5. With a solid and strong game from the base and good definitions to break the 118 service of the world at the right moment, the 21-year-old from Buenos Aires prevailed with some ease against a rival who could not neutralize the Argentine’s game in two hours and 21 minutes of play, on field 11.
Baéz and his rival were looking for their first win on a main draw. The Argentine held it. Photo SEBASTIEN BOZON / AFP
In the next round he will face for the first time on the circuit the Belgian David Goffin (58), who beat the Moldovan Radu Albot (113) 6-2, 6-2, 7-6 (7-5). At 21 years and 6 months, in his first Wimbledon main draw game, Báez became the youngest Argentine tennis player to claim his first English Open win since Juan Martín del Potro (18) and 9 months in 2007 .
“I’m glad I got through my debut. Sometimes I was a bit nervous. At first it was cloudy, a few drops fell, they didn’t let me start. But luckily it wasn’t raining and it was possible to play sequentially. This is a completely different surface. from one that forces you to run speeds all the time and you have to be brave, “he told ESPN.
Another promising young tennis player, but among women, like Coco Gauff, she also made her debut with flying colors. The eleventh-seeded American, who lost the Roland Garros final to Swiatek, came in a comeback by beating Romania’s Elena-Gabriela Ruse 2-6, 6-3, 7-5.
Source: Clarin
