Nadal has 20 wins in 20 games played at the 2022 Grand Slams. Photo: AFP
The Spanish Rafael Nadal get back to US Open three years after his last participation, when he was crowned champion by beating the Russian in the final Daniel Medvedev. And he took it back this Tuesday where he had left him, with a win, worked against the Australian Rinky Hijikata.
At the start of his journey to New York’s fifth crown and his return to world number one, Nadal returned a set down before regulating his match 4-6, 6-2, 6-3, 6-3.
The Majorcan adds twenty wins out of twenty this year in the ‘big’with titles at the Australian Open and Roland Garros and an elimination at Wimbledon without taking the field, due to an abdominal injury that prevented him from playing the semi-final against Australian Nick Kyrgios.
Since then Nadal had only played one match on the circuit: defeat on his debut in Cincinnati against the Croatian Borna Coricat the end sample.
However, the abdominal injury prevents him from serving with total composure, as the scar he has does not give him much flexibility, but Rafa has shown good form and his tireless competitive spirit. A second round match against the Italian Fabio Fognini awaits him.who overcame two sets of disadvantage against the Russian Aslan Karatsev (1-6, 5-7, 6-1 6-4 and 6-4).
Nadal spent three hours and eight minutes on Arthur Ashe’s court, in a match that began outdoors and ended with the roof closed due to rain, to protect his circular passage. So Hijikata, on his all-time debut in a ‘big’, seemed not to feel the pressure to compete with the man who has won the most ‘Grand Slam’ titles in historywith 22 trophies.
His first set was of a high standard, he played with depth and nourished himself with good points to get a break in the seventh game and defend him up to 6-4 which gave him an advantage.
The young Australian, who recently won his first game of the ‘Tour’ in Los Cabos, accompanied each point with colorful cheers, particularly when he hit the shot that earned him the break.
However, Nadal, who the first position in the world rankings is within reach in this tournament, never lost his temper and took command of operations with authority, speeding up with his rights. He immediately escaped 3-0 in the second set and in less than 35 minutes he equalized the game by winning the second set 6-2.
Nadal raised the level and disarmed Hijikata, who began to suffer tremendously to earn points. It was only a matter of time before the Spaniard managed to reach fifteen in the third set by taking the lead 4-1.
Nadal’s forehand hurt Hijikata more and more and this opened the way for him to break in the fifth game of the third set, after a delicate 30-30 in the previous game. A parallel right gave him the break to zero and definitely put the match downhill.
Nadal sentenced him with a new 6-3 to fly in the second round and meet Fognini, a rival who has won in thirteen of the previous 17 duels. No minor details: One of those four defeats against the Italian was, coincidentally, in the third round of the US Open 2015.
Source: EFE
Source: Clarin
