NEW YORK – Mainit na sinimulan ni Rafael Nadal ang kanyang kampanya para sa ika-4 na US Open title nang magaan na dispatsahin si John Millman, habang sibak agad ang iba pang leading seeds sa first round.
Apat na players sa world’s top 10 — Dominic Thiem, Stefanos Tsitsipas, Karen Khachanov at Roberto Bautista Agut – ang yumuko sa kani-kanilang katunggali upang maging madali ang pagdaraanan ni Nadal patungo sa finals.
Kinailangan lamang ng Spanish second seed — US Open champion noong 2010, 2013 at 2017 – ng halos dalawang oras para ibasura si Mill-man, 6-3, 6-2, 6-2, sa Arthur Ashe Stadium kung saan hindi gumana ang ‘magic’ ng world number 60 mula sa Australia na gumulantang kay Roger Federer dito noong nakaraang taon.
“The beginning, the first match, is always a little bit new even if I’ve played here plenty of times,” wika ni Nadal, na makakasagupa si Aussie Thanasi Kokkinakis sa susunod na round.
“I think I played well and in general am very happy with the way I started.
He (Millman) showed last year what he’s able to do when he’s doing well and I came on court with a lot of respect.”
Sinorpresa si two-time French Open runner-up Thiem ni Italian giant-killer Thomas Fabbiano, 6-4, 3-6, 6-3, 6-2, kung saan nalasap ng Austrian fourth seed ang isa pang first-round exit, kung saan maaga rin siyang nasibak sa Wimbledon.
“I got very tired and exhausted after two sets. I’m far away from 100 percent,” ani Thiem.
“It was not the real me there on the court.”
Nalasap naman ni Greek eighth seed Tsitsipas, nagtamo ng cramps at inakusahan ang umpires na may pinapaboran, ang 6-4, 6-7 (5/7), 7-6 (9/7), 7-5 pagkatalo kay Next Gen rival Andrey Rublev sa four-hour match.
“This chair umpire, I don’t know, he has something against me. I don’t know why,” ani Tsitsipas.
“I wish that all the chair umpires were like Mohamed Lahyani because I believe he’s the best out in the game, and we need more like him in tennis because he’s fair to everyone. I feel like some of them have preferences when they are on the court.”
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