For a short spell on the Foro Italico, Rafael Nadal actually did resemble a weary 37-year-old participant nearing retirement.
Struggling to supply tempo off either side together with his groundstrokes, committing an uncharacteristically excessive variety of unforced errors and unable to remain in rallies, Nadal dropped the primary set of his first-round match on the Italian Open in opposition to Belgian qualifier Zizou Bergs on Friday.
Then the fist-pumping, virtually-unbeatable-on-clay, 22-time grand slam champion model of Nadal emerged and the Spaniard rallied for a 4-6 6-3 6-4 victory earlier than an adoring crowd in what’s going to probably be his remaining event on the famed Roman venue.
Nadal was taking part in solely his tenth match this yr after lacking practically all of 2023 with a hip harm that required surgical procedure. He’s hoping to be aggressive one final time on the French Open, the place he’s the document 14-time champion.
“That was not my best match. I was practising better than how I played today, without a doubt. But I found a way to win,” Nadal mentioned.
“That’s so important at the beginning of the tournament. For me, it’s normal.
“My recreation is extra unpredictable than earlier than. I did not play a lot tennis for the final two years. So I’m up and down, on and off, however I feel I can do it a lot better than what I did in the present day and I hope to do it the subsequent spherical.”
Rome, where he is a record 10-time champion, is Nadal’s last big warm-up tournament before Roland Garros starts on May 26.
During his 70th win in the Italian capital, the Campo Centrale crowd serenaded Nadal with chants of: “Ole, Ole, Ole, Na-dal, Na-dal.”
“I’ve at all times been emotional to play right here, these form of occasions are an important occasions in my tennis profession,” Nadal mentioned.
“The crowd has been at all times wonderful with me, supporting me for the reason that starting of my tennis profession. So I’m tremendous excited to have the ability to play another time right here.”
Nadal was coming off a straight-set loss to 31st-ranked Jiri Lehecka in the fourth round of the Madrid Open.
But he has never lost consecutive matches on clay in his entire career and now that impressive statistic remains intact during what he has indicated is his final season on tour.
Nadal’s mother and sister sitting behind the court shouted encouragement and his one-year-old son was also courtside, sitting on the lap of Nadal’s father.
The Nadal family can now look forward to a second-round match-up with seventh-seeded Hubert Hurkacz.
Top-ranked Novak Djokovic is on the other aspect of the draw, whereas second-ranked Jannik Sinner and third-ranked Carlos Alcaraz each withdrew due to accidents.
Source: www.perthnow.com.au
