In only his second match at the US Open, Rafael Nadal has cemented his place in history following his 6-0, 7-5, 6-1, win over Italy’s Andreas Seppi in the second round.
Playing on the Arthur Ashe stadium, the Spaniard became the first player ever to win a match under the newly built retractable roof. It is a fitting accomplishment for Nadal, who was also the first player to practice at the recently developed facility.
“Is great to be the first player to play with the roof closed in the competition because I was the first player to hit in the center court with the roof closed.” Nadal said.
“There isn’t really a difference, not a big difference.” He said about playing under the roof. “With the roof open there is no wind at all, so it is not a big change. And the roof is so high you don’t feel that you are closed. That’s my feeling.”
During his second round encounter, Nadal produced 23 winners and dropped his serve only twice to book his place in the third round of the tournament. The win follows his straight sets win over Denis Istomin in the first round.
The duo of wins comes as Nadal continues his ongoing recovery from a wrist injury that sidelined him from the tour for two months. So far at Flushing Meadows, the fourth seed has displayed no indication of experiencing pain in his wrist, however, Nadal has admitted that he still has a way to go. It was in the third round of the French Open where the Spaniard was forced to pull out of the tournament due to the issue.
After his latest injury woes, Nadal has said in New York that for him this year isn’t about adding another trophy to his collection. Speaking during his late night press conference, the 30-year-old admitted that he ‘doesn’t expect’ to reach the final. Instead, his primary concern is getting through each round without any problems.
“I’m coming back from an injury. For me it is impossible now to think about these kind of things.” He said about reaching the final. “I’m going day by day. I’m happy to be back on the tour. I’m happy that the wrist is improving.”
The draw is opening up for the former champion following the shock exit of Milos Raonic, who was a potential quarter-final opponent. The Wimbledon finalist was hampered by nerves and cramp as he was dumped out of the tournament by American qualifier Ryan Harrison, 6-7 (4-7) 7-5 7-5 6-1. The loss of Raonic is a boost for the Nadal camp, but the Spaniard is sorry to see the Canadian leave Flushing Meadows.
“It is probably a negative thing for the tournament that Milos lost, because he is the number three on the race. He is one of the stars of the world.” He said.
There is still a way to go before the fourth seed thinks about playing in his seventh US Open quarter-final. Awaiting Nadal in the third round will be Russia’s Andrey Kuznetsov, a player he has defeated three times since 2015.
