The only thing hotter than the Melbourne sun is Rafael Nadal’s start to the Australian Open.
Continuing his blistering pace Down Under, Rafael Nadal erased Damir Dzumhur 6-1, 6-3, 6-1 during third-round action on Friday night. The world No. 1 fired four aces without double-faulting a single time and he broke Dzumhur seven times in just three short sets before prevailing in hone hour and 50 minutes.
When Nadal got momentum on Friday–and that was often–he was impossible to stop. The 16-time Grand Slam champion ran off five straight games in a row to begin the match and seven games in succession spanning the end of the second set and start of the third. The latter streak came following Dzumhur’s lone bright spot of night, when the underdog from Bosnia and Herzegovina earned his only break of the contest to even the middle frame of play at 2-2. It went downhill once again from there for Dzumhur, and it did so in a hurry. He did not win another game until holding at 0-3 in the third.
Highlights:
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looking good, Rafa
He sure is! He’s playing a lot better than he was at the USO.
Rafa got what he needed out of his draw for the early rounds. It worked out really well for him coming in with no match play.
Keep it up!
Yes, Rafa said he wanted matches and he got them. It’s good that he had to dig deep in the 3rd set against Mayer, that would have done a lot for his confidence. He is so on his game right now, I hope that continues.
I Love to see him playing with such confidence, win or lose its fantastic to see 😉
I agree about Rafa looking so confident now. He seems sure about what he wants to do. He’s hitting that DTL forehand, too! The money shot!
I just so proud of Rafa! He has come out strong!
Vamos Rafa!
Rafa looking great…Vamos!…but Schartzman will give him a solid 3 se battle!
I think Rafa is ready for it. He should be tested now. Diego will come to play. Rafa now needs to go to another gear. This is where he should start to raise his level of play in preparation for the second week.
You must be happy?