Nadal, Federer Roll in Aussie Open First Round
Rafael Nadal looked impressive in his Australian Open first-round match, rolling past Russia’s Mikhail Youzhny 6-3, 6-2, 6-2 on Day 1 in Melbourne.
Nadal has struggled in his recent matches following an injury-laden second half of 2014, and entered the Australian Open with some question marks. The Spaniard looked extremely sharp against a tough first-round opponent.
“Everything about winning is positive for me,” said Nadal. “The only way to improve is by winning. Sport is like this. I need to stay a little calmer, and I need to be a little more coordinated when I’m running on the defense. I need matches and victories to have this level of confidence that will make those things a little better.”
Nadal was sharp from the get go. He ripped 12 winners compared to just seven unforced errors in the first set, and hit a couple of fabulous baseline forehand winners that were impossible to return for Youzhny.
In the second set, the Spaniard’s serve was unstoppable. He won 16 of his 17 service points and broke Youzhny twice on his way to a 6-2 set victory. The third set was much of the same as Nadal ripped 17 winners to just six unforced errors to wrap up the straight set win in one hour and 50 minutes.
“It was a very positive result for me. I think it was a very good start,” said Nadal, who won the Australian Open in 2009. “Always before the first match you always have doubts, especially in the situation I’m arriving here in. It was a comfortable victory that gives me some confidence.”
Up next for Nadal is Tim Smyczek. The American edged Australian teenager Luke Saville 7-6(2), 7-5, 6-4 to move into the second-round.
Roger Federer cruised past his first-round opponent Yen-Hsun Lu of the Chinese Taipei 6-4, 6-2, 7-5.
The second-seeded Swiss ripped 57 winners compared to 37 unforced errors and was aggressive at the net, winning 30 of 43 net points to move past Lu in one hour and 53 minutes.
“As you’re running up to the ball or trying to take the ball early, if you have a little bit of doubt that it’s not the right play—it’s funny enough—you’ll fail every single time,” said Federer of being aggressive. “You just have to believe and visualize beforehand what’s going to happen. You see the play happening in your mind just before you hit it, and then you have the best chance of making it work.”
The four-time champion in Melbourne moves on to play Italian Simone Bolelli who outlasted Argentina’s Juan Monaco 6-3, 3-6, 6-3, 6-1 to push through.
Federer is 3-0 all-time against Bolelli.
Andy Murray was able to shake India’s Yuki Bhambri 6-3, 6-4, 7-6(3) to move on. Murray fired 13 aces and got a break in each of the three sets to push past Bhambri.
Murray will play Australia’s Marinko Matosevic in the second round. Matosevic outlasted Russia’s Alexander Kudryavtsev 6-4, 6-7(5), 3-6, 7-5, 6-3 on Monday.
Tomas Berdych and Grigor Dimitrov both began their respective Australian Open runs with straight set wins.
The seventh-seeded Berdych rolled past Colombia’s Alejandro Falla 6-3, 7-6(1), 6-3. Berdych hammered seven aces and notched five break points to win in straight sets. The Czech moves on to play Austrian Jurgen Melzer who disposed of the Dominican Republic’s Victor Estrella Burgos 6-1, 6-4, 6-2.
Dimitrov took care of Germany’s Dustin Brown with a 6-2, 6-3, 6-2 victory. The 10th seeded Bulgarian hit 11 aces and 30 winners as he closed Brown out in one hour and nine minutes.
“It was a good start for me,” said Dimitrov. “I expected it to be tricky. After a couple breaks I already knew the match can go on my side, but at the same I have to stay focused. It’s best-of-five sets, and you never know what kind of shot or ball can take you out of that momentum.”
He takes on Slovakia’s Lukas Lacko in the second-round. Lacko edged Argentina’s Maximo Gonzalez 4-6, 6-2, 7-5, 6-7(4), 6-1 in his opening round bout.
The only upset on the men’s side on Day 1 was Latvia’s Ernests Gulbis falling to Australia’s Thanasi Kokkinas. The 18-year old saved four match points to upend the 11th-seeded Gulbis 5-7, 6-0, 1-6, 7-6(2), 8-6 in a match that lasted over four hours.
“I’m really happy with how I felt physically,” said Kokkinakis. “I was thrilled with that win. Best win of my career.”
Kokkinas moves on and will play fellow Australian Sam Groth who beat Serbia’s Filip Krajinovic in straight sets.
Another Australian teenager, Nick Kyrgios, pushed through into the second round on Monday as well. Kyrgios knocked off Argentina’s Frederic Delbonis 7-6(2), 3-6, 6-3, 6-7(5), 6-3.
Click Here for all the results from Day 1 at the Australian Open.
