Despite his initial difficulties and despite a strong start from Hijikata, Nadal was able to look forward to a 4:6 6:2 6:3 6:3 victory following 3:12 hours. “My first match here in New York in three years, Night Session – it’s always exciting. But I got over that difficult moment,” said the 36-year-old Spaniard. “It was such a day of doing your job and I did that. I’m happy regarding that.”
After the first break once morest himself, he became “a little nervous”. “But then I played better,” said Nadal, who also referred to his longer break following the abdominal muscle injury from the Wimbledon semifinals: “It was more or less my second game in 50 days.”
Carlos Alcaraz, who might become the youngest number one in history, also remains in the race for the top of the world rankings. The 19-year-old Spaniard struggled hard once morest Argentinian Sebastian Baez before he gave up with cramps when the score was 5-7 5-7 0-2. “I think both players and none of you deserved such an end,” said Alcaraz towards the audience. “Sebastian is a great player, he fights to the last ball.”
Defending champion Raducanu fails at the start
There was a surprise in the women’s competition, in which Raducanu retired in the first round. The 19-year-old Briton lost in her opening match on Wednesday night to French Alize Cornet 3:6 3:6. Raducanu is only the third player to be eliminated in the first round a year following her title at the last Grand Slam tournament of the year. The other two were Svetlana Kuznetsova from Russia (2005) and Angelique Kerber from Germany (2017).
De Polin Iga Swiatek, however, started the tournament with a clear victory, as befitted his position. The world number one easily prevailed once morest the Italian Jasmine Paolini 6:3 6:0. In the second round, the 21-year-old meets ex-US Open winner Sloane Stephens, who defeated Greet Minnen from Belgium 1:6 6:3 6:3. “I’m pretty happy with the performance and I feel like I have a better rhythm than in Toronto and Cincinnati, that’s great,” said Swiatek.
Out for Wimbledon champion Rybakina
On the other hand, Wimbledon winner Jelena Rybakina was eliminated. The number 25 seeded Kazakh lost to Clara Burel from France 4:6 4:6. Arina Sabalenka of Belarus, ranked sixth, dispatched Catherine Harrison of the USA 6-1 6-3. The US American Jessica Pegula, seeded number eight, was 6:2 6:2 ahead of the Swiss Viktorija Golubic.
US Open in New York
(USA, 27.915.200 Dollar, Hardcourt)
