Rafael Nadal has returned back to the winner’s circle after defeating qualifier Maxime Cressy in straight sets to win the Melbourne Summer Set Open trophy.
The 20-time Grand Slam champion was put through his paces throughout his 7-6(6), 6-3, win over Cressy who was playing in his maiden Tour final at the age of 24. Nadal’s victory means he has become the first player in the Open Era to have won at least one ATP trophy in 19 different seasons. In his latest match, the Spaniard hit an impressive 33 winners compared to just seven unforced errors and dropped serve only once. He also won 63% of his first service points and broke his opponent twice during the second set.
“I want to thank the organisation, there have been tremendous challenging moments and everybody is making a big effort to make this (the Australian summer swing) happen so I feel privileged to be here again,” Nadal said during the trophy ceremony.
“I’m coming back from some challenging moments in terms of injuries so I can’t be happier today. It means a lot to come back and have a trophy in my hands after everything.”
Taking on a player ranked 112th in the world, Nadal narrowly avoided dropping the opener by saving a set point during the tiebreak. Then in the second frame, the Spaniard was forced to come back from a break down to secure the win. Ending Cressy’s fairytale run which has seen him knock out seeds Reilly Opelka and Grigor Dimitrov.
Cressy’s game is known for its use of serve of volley which is something that was once a prominent feature on the men’s Tour. Now the American aims to bring it back to the game and Nadal believes he has the ability to do so.
“It is a great start to the season for you and I wish you all the best for the rest of the season and the rest of your career. I’m sure your style (serve and volley) will prevail and I believe that there is something new that you bring to the game so it’s great to see players like you,” he said.
It is the first time Nadal has won a singles title on Australian soil since his triumph at the 2009 Australian Open. This week was the first tournament he had played since August due to a foot injury. Leading up to Melbourne, Nadal also tested positive for COVID-19 last month which delayed his travel plans.
“I can’t thank enough all of my team and my family who has been with me throughout all of my tennis career,” Nadal said. “Especially in my personal life, the last year and a half has been difficult and without you nothing like this would have been possible.’
Nadal has now won 89 Tour titles in his career.
