TENNIS – Spain’s Rafa Nadal continued his triumphant return to Roland Garros yesterday as he blasted his way into the second round of the Olympic tennis tournament, and set up a blockbuster clash with nemesis Novak Djokovic of Serbia.
That the Nadal-Djokovic clash today will not determine gold was the only slip in the Olympic script as the Spaniard found a second wind on a Roland Garros stage on which he has built his legend, to beat Marton Fucsovics 6-1 4-6 6-4.
Later on a hectic second day of action, another one of the former ‘big four’ prolonged his career for at least another match as Britain’s Andy Murray partnered Dan Evans to an incredible first-round doubles win against Japan’s Kei Nishikori and Taro Daniel, saving five match points in the process.
Defending singles champion Alexander Zverev rounded off the singles action with a 6-2 6-2 win over Spain’s Jaume Munar.
The 38-year-old Nadal played a starring role in Paris’s opening ceremony on Friday and a day later grabbed the spotlight again, teaming with Carlos Alcaraz to win an opening doubles.
While the so-called ‘Nadalcaraz’ dream team has caused excitement, Nadal showed he remains a formidable force without a young sidekick. As he fired a forehand winner on his third match point against Hungary’s Fucsovics the crowd roared and stood as one to hail the Mallorca who has thrilled them for two decades.
In the women’s draw, US team flagbearer Coco Gauff dazzled under the fading sun to sweep aside Australia’s Ajla Tomljanovic 6-3 6-0 in double-quick time while Chinese sixth seed Qinwen Zheng made a mockery of former French Open runner-up Sara Errani’s clay credentials, pummelling the Italian 6-0 6-0.
Ninth seeded Czech Barbora Krejcikova recovered from a slow start to grind her way past Spain’s Sara Sorribes Tormo 4-6 6-0 7-6(3). Men’s sixth seed Casper Ruud beat Japans Taro Daniel 7-5 6-1 while Stefanos Tsitsipas needed three sets to clamber through against Belgium’s Zizou Bergs 7-6 (6) 1-6 6-1.
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