Eleven short days after Raphael Nadal Lame from the Italian Open due to a bitter outbreak of a chronic foot injury, he was an image of comfort on Monday afternoon when he returned to the tournament of his life with a calm starting victory. Nadal advanced to the second round without incident, defeating Jordan Thompson of Australia 6-2, 6-2, 6-2.
«[It] this is a good start, of course, direct sets. That’s all. I mean, for a while I played well. Then what I could do better and I need to do better. But it’s a positive start, and it gives me a chance tomorrow another day in practice and then another chance the day after tomorrow ”.
As he chases after his 14th French Open Nadal’s future meetings will be unusually persistent as he continues to try to regain form after a rib fracture in March and foot problems that further damaged his preparations for Paris. This is the first time Nadal has competed in the French Open without reaching the previous Masters 1000 final on the court.
“How do I have a level of confidence, how would it be if I didn’t get injured? I don’t know. ” he said. “We never know. So I’m not a big fan of thinking about what can happen when – if – is a dangerous word.
«[This] it is a moment to take this moment, accept the situation and have the confidence to make every effort every day to get better and better. Let’s see how far I can go. “
Next, Nadal will meet with Frenchman Quarenten Mute, who defeated Stan Wawrinka 2-6, 6-3, 7-6 (2), 6-3, while the Swiss continues to return after injury.
Cameron Nori took the first positive step in his campaign for the French Open, defeating local wildcard Manuel Ginar 7-5, 6-2, 6-0 and reaching the second round. The competition began as a battle of attrition, and Nora was far from his top level since losing an early break, but in damp and tough conditions he was resilient enough to see a grueling 72-minute set.
However, with the starting set Nora relaxed, and when he played freely to the end, the difference in quality between him and the 26-year-old player, who ranks 146th, became apparent. Nori, 10th seeded in Paris, won his fourth ATP title in Lyon on Saturday, and he had only one day to rest and adjust to Parisian conditions. After a day off, he will meet with Australian Jason Kubler.
Dan Evans, 29th seeded, came out behind Nora in the second round with a solid win over Francisco Cherundalo 7-6 (3) 6-4, 6-4.
https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2022/may/23/rafael-nadal-sinks-jordan-thompson-to-launch-bid-for-14th-french-open-title
