Melbourne: Rafael Nadal's quest to complete his "Rafa Slam" at the Australian Open started with a first-round victory that lasted only 47 minutes and helped conserve plenty of energy.
Nadal led 6-0, 5-0 when his Brazilian opponent Marcos Daniel retired with a left knee injury on Tuesday.
The 24-year-old Spaniard sympathized with Daniel. Nadal retired from the last Australian Open with an injured knee in a quarterfinal loss to Andy Murray. But he recovered quickly and won the next three majors and is now aiming to be the first man since Rod Laver in 1969 to hold all four Grand Slam trophies at the same time.
Hoping a third time will be luckier, Vera Zvonareva began her bid to reach a third consecutive Grand Slam final with a commanding 6-2, 6-1 win over Sybille Bammer in the first round of the Australian Open on Tuesday.
Zvonareva, who lost to Serena Williams in the Wimbledon final and to Kim Clijsters in the U.S. Open final last year, dominated the first set against the 30-year-old Bammer and tightened her grip on the match in the second. She conceded only four points in the first four games of the second set and didn't allow the Austrian to hold until the sixth game.
The 26-year-old Zvonareva reached the semifinals at Melbourne Park two years ago, her best run at a major until Wimbledon.
"It's tough to play your best tennis in the first match. The most important thing is I've done what I needed to do and moved through to the next one," said Zvonareva, adding that she'd learned only through experience how to navigate the early rounds of a major.
Rafael Nadal was the next match on Rod Laver Arena, opening his bid for a "Rafa Slam" against Marcos Daniel of Brazil.
The 24-year-old Spaniard has won the three majors — the French, Wimbledon and U.S. Open — since Roger Federer won the Australian here last year and is aiming to be the first man since Laver in 1969 to hold all four Grand Slam titles at the same time.
Federer and No 3 Novak Djokovic played Monday, immediately sending the message to Nadal that he'll have to be at the peak of his game.
Defending champion Federer dismantled Lukas Lacko 6-1, 6-1, 6-3. The 16-time Grand Slam champion is aiming to become only the second man to win the Australian Open five times; Roy Emerson won six.
Djokovic took no chances against Marcus Granollers, soundly beating the 24-year-old Spaniard 6-1, 6-3, 6-1. He thinks it's premature for anyone to be talking about winning the title.
"I try to think about myself and my matches, the opponents that I have to face, not about the other guys," he said. "Of course, all the credit to Rafa and Roger. They are deservedly the two biggest favorites to win this tournament. They're the two best players of the world.
"(But) definitely this performance gives me more confidence and gives me enough reason to think that I can beat anyone."
Eighth-seeded American Andy Roddick had a 6-1, 6-2, 6-2 win over Jan Hajek of the Czech Republic.
"I feel healthy and strong for the first time in a while," he said.
His US Davis Cup teammates had a tougher time, with Mardy Fish coming back from two sets down to win in five for the first time in his career and Sam Querrey losing in a five-setter.
No. 18 Querrey went down 5-7, 6-2, 3-6, 6-1, 8-6 to Lukasz Kubot of Poland, while No. 18 Fish overcame Victor Hanescu of Romania 2-6, 4-6, 6-3, 7-5, 6-3.
Caroline Wozniacki started her first major tournament as the No. 1-ranked woman with a 6-3, 6-4 victory over Argentina's Gisela Dulko, while fourth-seeded Venus Williams advanced 6-3, 6-2 over Sara Errani of Italy 6-3, 6-2.
She's the only Williams sister in the draw after defending champion Serena withdrew with an injured foot.
Clijsters, growing as a favorite to win the Australian title, faced a difficult first-round match Tuesday night against former No. 1-ranked Dinara Safina.
Clijsters' fellow Belgian Justine Henin had her struggles against Indian qualifier Sania Mirza before winning 5-7, 6-3, 6-1 in what she called her "first official match in six months" on Monday evening.
Henin was only weeks into a comeback from retirement when she reached the final here last year in a brilliant return to the tour. Injuries curtailed the end of her season.
"I think physically I'm probably better than a year ago. And I'm getting there," she said. "I know I came through difficult moments in the last few months. But now I'm here ... the passion is back."
Comments
0 comment