Rafael Nadal got in some much-needed match practice on Monday ahead of his first-round singles match at the China Open, albeit in a losing effort. Nadal, who last played at Wimbledon before being sidelined by a wrist injury, teamed up with fellow Spaniard Pablo Andujar and fell to Tomas Berdych and John Isner 7-5, 4-6, 10-4.
The only two service breaks of the afternoon came in back-to-back games, but in different sets. Berdych and Isner broke Andujar at 6-5 to steal the opener before the 6’10” American was broken right away in the second. In the ensuing super-tiebreaker, Nadal and Andujar briefly led 3-2 with a mini-break only to see their opponents run off seven straight points to seize complete control.
The only two service breaks of the afternoon came in back-to-back games, but in different sets. Berdych and Isner broke Andujar at 6-5 to steal the opener before the 6’10” American was broken right away in the second. In the ensuing super-tiebreaker, Nadal and Andujar briefly led 3-2 with a mini-break only to see their opponents run off seven straight points to seize complete control.
Berdych and Isner blasted 10 aces compared to just one for the Spaniards. The winning duo served at 73 percent and won 80 percent of its first-serve points.
Meanwhile, U.S. Open champion Marin Cilic returned on Monday and got back to his winning ways by taking care of Chinese wild card Yan Bai 6-3, 6-4. Cilic saved all four of the break points he faced to prevail in one hour and 21 minutes.
“It’s important for me to keep focusing on the improvement of my game and try to recreate the game I was playing at the U.S. Open,” the world No. 9 explained. “It’s going to be a process for me at all the tournaments to keep my level at the high point where I want it to be.”
Cilic is joined in the second round by Grigor Dimitrov, Joao Sousa, Vasek Pospisil, and Viktor Troicki. Dimitrov held off Fernando Verdasco 6-1, 3-6, 6-3 and Sousa won a 1-6, 7-6(4), 6-4 thriller over Teymuraz Gabashvili. Pospisil beat Lukas Rosol 6-4, 6-3 and Troicki’s impressive comeback continued with a 6-3, 6-4 victory over Mikhail Youzhny.[polldaddy poll=8339462]
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Now that’s a doubles match that I really would love to have seen! So glad that Rafa is back on the circuit…hope he stays w/us!