Rafael Nadal overcame a slow start to book his spot in the second round at the US Open, ousting Dusan Lajovic 7-6(6), 6-2, 6-2 in two hours and 17 minutes on Tuesday. With rain storms putting a damper on Day Two in Flushing Meadows, the top-seeded Spaniard prevailed under the closed roof as he kicked off his 13th appearance at the hard-court Grand Slam. Nadal fired 33 winners and five aces, claiming six of 11 break chances in total. He will face either American wild card Tommy Paul or Japan's Taro Daniel next. It was far from straightforward, but Nadal claimed the opening set 8/6 in a tie-break, before reeling of 12 of the next 16 games for an emphatic...
Watch highlights as Rafael Nadal defeats Dusan Lajovic in US Open first round on Tuesday. Highlights courtesy US Open. Visit usopen.org for more video. Highlights not available in USA. Photo: Getty Images
If history is any indication of what's to come at the US Open, Rafael Nadal will be quite pleased with his fortnight in New York. The last time the top seed entered the last Grand Slam of the year as World No. 1 in the Emirates ATP Rankings was in 2010. The result? His first of two US Open titles, culminating in a four-set victory over Novak Djokovic in the final. This time, Nadal returns to the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center ready to embark on his 142nd and 143rd weeks at No. 1. Ahead of his 13th appearance in the Big Apple, the Spaniard says he is simply happy to be back and has one objective on...
World No. 1 Rafael Nadal has been drawn in the same half of the US Open draw as Roger Federer, who, alongside Andy Murray, could rise to the top of the Emirates ATP Rankings after the conclusion of the final Grand Slam championship of the year. The draw ceremony took part at the US Open Experience in the Seaport District of Manhattan on Friday. Two-time former champion Nadal could meet Grigor Dimitrov, the recent Western & Southern Open titlist, or David Goffin in the quarter-finals prior to a semi-final showdown against Federer, who is bidding to capture his sixth US Open crown. Nadal and Federer have never met at the US Open, and while Nadal leads 23-14 in their FedEx...