Beijing gold medallist Rafael Nadal shook off his Olympic hangover on Monday to stumble into the second round of the US Open.
Nadal struggles to a 7-6 6-3 7-6 win over Germany’s Phau in the 1st round
NEW YORK: Beijing gold medallist Rafael Nadal shook off his Olympic hangover on Monday to stumble into the second round of the US Open. As the newly-crowned world number one, Nadal would have been expected to flatten a qualifier ranked 136th in the world.
But the Spaniard’s exertions over the past few weeks, where he made a flying visit to the Chinese capital to add the Games title to his triumphs at the French Open and Wimbledon, appeared to have caught up with him as he struggled to a 7-6 6-3 7-6 win over Germany’s Bjorn Phau.
“The problem is playing Toronto, Cincinnati and Beijing, then coming back here. In two weeks, two times, 12 hours’ jet lag,” said Nadal, who ended Roger Federer’s record run of 237 consecutive weeks at the top last Monday. “I’m a little bit more tired than I usually am but, at the same time, I must be very happy how I did this year.”
Phau must have experienced a sleepless night at the prospect of facing the imposing figure of Nadal across the net. But once he stepped on to the Arthur Ashe Stadium court, he put in a nerveless display to rattle the Spaniard.
Nadal eventually revealed his iron will to end Phau’s brave challenge in just under three hours.
On a night when Flushing Meadows paid a glittering tribute to the players who have won singles titles in New York since tennis turned professional in 1968, Nadal led a parade of Olympic champions, past and present, into round two.
Lindsay Davenport did not seem to suffer from any ill effects from the knee injury which has curtailed her season and eased past Canada’s Aleksandra Wozniak 6-4 6-2.
Men’s 10th seed Stanislas Wawrinka, who helped Federer fulfil his Olympic dream by winning the doubles crown in Beijing, beat Simone Bolelli of Italy 7-6 6-3 6-3. British sixth seed Andy Murray lived up to his billing as a title contender when he gave
Argentine Sergio Roitman the run-around in a 6-3 6-4 6-0 mauling. Roitman’s compatriot David Nalbandian enjoyed better fortune and overcame Brazilian Marcos Daniel 6-1 6-2 6-4.
Second seed Jelena Jankovic underlined her title aspirations with an unforgiving 6-3 6-1 exhibition against Coco Vandeweghe.
Blake pushed to five sets
Ninth-seeded American James Blake was pushed to five sets by compatriot Donald Young before completing a 6-1 3-6 6-1 4-6 6-4 victory to bring the curtain down on Monday’s opening day.
Blake looked poised to make quick work of Young, a first-round loser at both Roland Garros and Wimbledon this year, leading two sets to one and up 2-0 in the fourth before the slender left-hander caught fire.
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