(Madrid) Rafael Nadal did not need much effort to score a 6-1, 6-0 victory against the young American Darwin Blanch in the first round of the Madrid Tennis Open on Thursday.
Nadal looked in good form in what was only his third match since returning from injury. He made his return to Barcelona last week, losing in the second round to Alex De Minaur, whom Nadal will face again in the second round in Madrid on Saturday.
“I hope I can give my best and be competitive against De Minaur,” Nadal said.
“Every time I have the chance to be on the court in this extraordinary stadium with a crowd that supports me unconditionally, it means a lot to me. I try to enjoy every moment. Tomorrow there will be another day of training here and the day after tomorrow I will be on the court again. I feel very good. »
Aged 37, Nadal took control from the start of the match against his rival aged just 16 – a guest of the organizers – and completed the duel in just over an hour on the center court of the Caja Magica , in the Spanish capital.
This is the largest age gap (21 years and 117 days) between two opponents in an ATP 1000 tournament.
Blanch, who was playing only his second match on the ATP tour, committed 27 unforced errors. Nadal never had to face a break point.
“I think today I played against an opponent who has a great future,” Nadal said.
“But today there were still mistakes. I just tried to be there, to be solid all the time without taking a lot of risks. It worked well. I’m glad I stopped by and I wish him the best for the future. »
Nadal had arrived in Madrid saying that he was not in great shape and that he was only going to play because the clay court tournament was being held at home.
On Wednesday, the five-time champion from Madrid said that in his current state he would not play if it came to the French Open, a tournament he has won a record 14 times.
The Spaniard is trying to get back into shape for the Paris tournament, which will probably be his last participation at Roland-Garros. The French Open begins next month.
A winner of 22 Grand Slam tournaments, Nadal had hip surgery last summer and said 2024 would likely be his last year on the tour.
In other men’s results, Lorenzo Sonego beat Richard Gasquet 6-2, 7-5 to set the table for a duel against Jannik Sinner, the favorite in Madrid. Gasquet competed in a 1000e match on the ATP circuit.
Brazilian qualifier Thiago Monteiro will face Stefanos Tsitsipas after defeating Dusan Lajovic in two sets of 6-4, 6-3. His compatriot Joao Fonseca came from behind to win 4-6, 6-0, 6-2 against the American Alex Michelsen.
Among the women, the favorite Iga Swiatek began her quest for a first title in Madrid by signing a beautiful victory of 6-1, 6-4 at the expense of Wang Xiyu. She will now meet Sorana Cirstea in the third round.
Madrid is the only renowned European clay court tournament that Swiatek has yet to win.
” I love this place. I got to know the city a little more last year, Swiatek said. This time I feel more comfortable. »
PHOTO OSCAR DEL POZO, AGENCE FRANCE-PRESSE
Coco Gauff
The American Coco Gauff, for her part, corrected Arantxa Rus in two sets of 6-0, 6-0, in less than an hour. It was her first win without losing a single game in a main draw match on the WTA Tour.
“I’ve never done that before. I’ll probably never do it again,” Gauff said.
Former world No. 1 Naomi Osaka lost 6-2, 4-6, 7-5 to 15th-ranked Liudmila Samsonovae first in the series.
Osaka, who returned to the game in January after maternity leave, scored her first victory on clay in two years on Wednesday.