Nadal races into Australian Open 2nd round with 70th win, Shapovalov survives
Jan 17, 2022
Melbourne [Australia], January 17 : Sixth-seed Rafael Nadal cruised into the second round of the Australian Open after he defeated Marcos Giron at Rod Laver Arena on Monday.
The 2009 AO champion Spaniard thrashed Giron from the USA by 6-1, 6-4, 6-2 in a match that lasted for one hour and 49 minutes. This was also the 20-time Grand Slam winner's 70th win at the Australian Open.
In the second round, Nadal will either face Yannick Hanfmann of Germany or Thanasi Kokkinakis of Australia.
Earlier in the day, Carlos Alcaraz lived up to his status as a first-time Grand Slam seed with a dominant 6-2, 6-2, 6-3 win over Chilean qualifier Alejando Tabilo.
Strikingly dressed in a sleeveless shirt and all-red kit, the 18-year-old Spaniard's first-strike tennis proved too much for Tabilo, who was making his second Grand Slam main-draw appearance. In his competitive debut for 2022, Alcaraz put his game and his physique on full display after an offseason of apparent improvement on both fronts.
In the top quarter of the Australian Open draw--a section ripe with opportunity due to the absence of Novak Djokovic--Alcaraz will take on Dusan Lajovic, who defeated Marton Fucsovics 6-3, 4-6, 6-1, 6-7(6), 6-1.
At John Cain Arena, Denis Shapovalov survived an adventure-filled first-round matchup against Croatia's Laslo Djere. After being two points away from a fifth set, the Canadian advanced in four, 7-6(3), 6-4, 3-6, 7-6(3). Djere had an opportunity to serve for both the first and fourth sets, but each time the No. 14 seed denied him.
Elsewhere at Margaret Court Arena, seventh-seed Matteo Berrettini defeated USA's Brandon Nakashima in the opening round. The Italian outlasts Nakashima by 4-6, 6-2, 7-6(5), 6-3 in the match that lasted for three hours and 10 minutes.
