Embarking upon the US Open as the top seed for the first time since 2010, Rafael Nadal tamed a spirited Dusan Lajovic 7-6(6), 6-2, 6-2, in the first round.
Entering the Arthur Ashe stadium, the Spaniard was the overwhelming favourite to come through. Nadal has spent over 100 weeks as world No.1 and has a total of 73 ATP titles to his name. In contrast, 27-year-old Lajovic is yet to break the top 50 and yet to win an ATP trophy. The disparity between the two players was huge, but at the start of the match, it was hard to separate the two.
Underdog Lajovic got off to a solid start, braking a tentative looking Nadal for a 3-1 lead. Slowly adjusting to the court conditions, the 30-year-old was then forced to save another break point two games later to stay within contention. It wasn’t until the tenth game that the top seed managed to draw level by breaking the Serbian to love to level 5-5.
Drawing level, Nadal still struggled to exert his dominance in the opening set against his inspired opponent, who produced glimmers of tennis that exceeded his current ranking of 85th. A nerve-stricken tiebreaker saw opportunities come and go for both men. Nadal’s first set point opportunity at 6-5 was squandered due to a double fault, prompting a loud gasp from the crowd. Two points later it was his trusted forehand that guided him to the opening set.
“It was tough at the beginning. Yes of course he was playing well, not making many mistakes, and I felt that he was in control of the points too many times.” Nadal said during his on court interview.
Coming through the opening set was the mental boost Nadal required. Lajovic’s early efforts invested into the match began to take its toll as the confidence of the top seed soared. The second set saw Nadal break three consecutive times on route to extending his lead.
The inevitability of a Nadal win was apparent, even though there was still room for improvement. An array of spectacular forehand winners from the Spaniard delighted the crowd and pushed his opponent towards despair. Hitting the ball deep towards the baseline and drawing the errors from Lajovic. Closing in on the win, a serve out wide elevated Nadal to a duo of match points. He triumphed on his first after a Lajovic forehand was blasted beyond the baseline.
“I need to keep improving.” The world No.1 said after his win. “Usually the first round is never easy. There are nerves out here, to play in this amazing place (Arthur Ashe), playing indoors, always at the beginning (of the tournament) you want to play well.”
Nadal’s desire for improvement is reflected by the match statistics. In the first round, his 33 winners were cancelled out by 34 unforced errors.
Awaiting Nadal in the second round will be either Taro Daniel or Tommy Paul, who had their match cancelled due to the rain. They are two players that the ten-time French Open champion has never played on the tour before.
“I will just try to focus on trying to do my work well.” He said about the upcoming match. “I am just happy to have one day off tomorrow, so let’s see.” Nadal added.
This year, Nadal is bidding to win his third US Open title and first since 2013.
