Rafael Nadal fell to countryman Fernando Verdasco in the first round of the Australian Open on Monday, 7-6 (6), 4-6, 3-6, 7-6 (4), 6-2. She played without fear and she hit every ball. On the other hand, Venus Williams and second seed Simona Halep were knocked out from the women’s singles category at the grandslam. “You can only lose the set, ‘” she said.
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Nadal – who made more than double the unforced errors that he did winners in the opener – went 2-0 up, but Verdasco rallied back to take the breaker 8-6.
Nadal seemed well on his way to winning the match after taking the second and third sets, but Verdasco was able to hang in, and he managed to take a fourth-set tiebreak in order to push the match to a decisive fifth set. I normally enjoy playing against the guys that come forward and stuff, so hopefully I can return well and, you know, pass well.
It is the first time 2009 champion Nadal has not reached the second round here – and only the second first-round defeat in his Grand Slam career.
No. 3 Garbine Muguruza needed exactly an hour to beat Estonian qualifier Anett Kontaveit 6-0, 6-4.
“I think it would be silly to look at Venus’ age and somehow consider that as a reflection of her level”, said the 24-year-old.
“The real thing is I was not enough aggressive with my forehand during the whole match”. Andy Murray registered a victory in the first round. In the fourth I was not very bad, but he played better than me, too.
The 34-year-old Hewitt, a former U.S. Open and Wimbledon champion, will meet David Ferrer in the second round on Thursday.
“I am excited about today, I played so well”, Zhang told reporters.
The issue appears sure to stay in the spotlight throughout the tournament, especially as one of two Australian players charged with the offence in 2014 – Nick Lindahl – is due in court next week in New South Wales to contest the charges.
“I played unbelievably in the fifth set”, said Verdasco, 32.
Yet again though, an edge of tightness started to creep into Konta’s game, a few wild swings belying the calm of earlier, as Williams once more edged back into the match, even entertaining two break points on the Konta serve as she stepped up to serve it out for the second time.
The 21-time Grand Slam victor doesn’t like to dwell on weaknesses and did not want to discuss the inflammation in her left knee that forced her to withdraw from her season-opener at the Hopman Cup. “I should take advantage there, but I didn’t”. I was closing the eyes and everything when I was coming in.
Williams lost 6-4, 6-2 to Johanna Konta, her eighth first-round loss at a major. But Verdasco has won three of the last four as Nadal continues to decline.
Nadal just one game away from a 1R exit.
This simply wasn’t the Nadal we watched overcome Verdasco in a five-set Australian Open semifinal in 2009, the year Rafa won the title in Melbourne, when Verdasco was a much better player. I thought, ‘You’re down, keep playing.
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MELBOURNE, Australia (AP) – Andy Murray finds it “hypocritical” that tennis authorities are trying to stamp out match-fixing run by gambling syndicates but have partnered with a major gambling company that is now advertising on the Australian Open’s show courts.
