Defending champion Rafael Nadal emphatically bought his Australian Open marketing campaign off to a profitable begin Monday, preventing off a problem from a 15-year youthful opponent on his strategy to a record-breaking twenty third Grand Slam title.
The Spanish high seed unleashed a few of his trademark hammer forehands, but in addition 46 unforced errors, earlier than carrying down Briton Jack Draper 7-5, 2-6, 6-4, 6-1 in blistering warmth on Rod Laver Arena.
It put him into the second spherical for the seventeenth time and stretched his win-loss report at Melbourne Park to 77-15.
He will subsequent play Mackenzie Mcdonald, who beat fellow American Brandon Nakashima in a five-set thriller.
“Super happy to be back here in Australia one more time. It’s like the 19th season in the professional tour so very excited about this new beginning,” he mentioned.
“It’s a victory I needed. I played against one of the toughest opponents possible in the first round. He’s young, he has the power and I think he has a great future in front of him.”
But it was a troublesome slog for the 36-year-old who had misplaced six of his previous seven matches, together with his opening two this 12 months.
Little separated them in a primary set, notable for a weird incident during which Nadal complained one his of racquets had gone lacking.
He saved his cool and waited for his likelihood, which got here at 6-5 on Draper’s serve when he earned a set level and transformed with a searing cross-court winner.
But Nadal misplaced focus within the second set as Draper raised his sport and raced to a 4-0 lead earlier than sealing the set.
The Spaniard regrouped and broke early within the third set to maneuver 4-1 in entrance, profitable the lengthy rallies. Draper wanted repeated remedy on his higher proper leg, however in opposition to the percentages broke again earlier than Nadal once more stepped up.
Draper was clearly struggling, grimacing in ache at occasions, and Nadal confirmed no mercy to race by way of the fourth set to victory.
Nadal created historical past on the identical courtroom final 12 months together with his five-set victory over Daniil Medvedev within the ultimate.
It noticed him declare possession of the report for many Grand Slam males’s singles titles on 21 forward of Novak Djokovic and Roger Federer.
He added a twenty second at Roland Garros, whereas Djokovic gained Wimbledon to maneuver onto 21.
Nadal’s 2022 run in Melbourne got here within the absence of nine-time champion Djokovic, who’s again this 12 months and begins his marketing campaign on Tuesday.
