2010 Rakuten Japan Open: Rafael Nadal fought hard to overpower Santiago Giraldo
World number one Rafael Nadal battled extremely hard to get past his Colombian tennis foe, Santiago Giraldo in the opening round match of the Rakuten Japan Open Tennis Tournament on Tuesday. Nadal is the world top ranked tennis player who is contesting in
Tokyo event since Roger Federer captured the crown back in 2006.
The 24-year-old Spaniard got the better of Santiago after smashing a total of four aces and preventing all four break point opportunities on Tuesday. The final match score was 6-4, 6-4. The clash concluded in a time period of one hour and fifty minutes in
Tokyo. Santiago, who is a two-time quarterfinalist this season, blasted a total of eight aces past Rafael in the pair’s first encounter since 2007 at the BNP Paribas Open in Indian Wells during the month of March.
Last Sunday, in his first competition since successfully completing the career Grand Slam at the year’s final major, the United States Open in New York, Rafael was brushed aside by his compatriot tennis foe, Guillermo Garcia Lopez in the semi final round
of the PTT Thailand Open Men’s tournament in Bangkok. The Manacor native has compiled a match record of 62-8 on the year.
Rafael, will next meet a qualifier from Canada, Milos Raonic for a spot in the quarter final round of the Japan Open in Tokyo. World number 200, Milos made his way into the next round after getting the better of Florent Serra in three sets. The final match
score was 6-4, 3-6, 6-4.
In other action, the fifth seed Gael Monfils who was a finalist at this year’s Mercedes Cup to Albert Montanes, battled past Go Soeda, a wild card entrant from Japan in two sets on Tuesday. The final match score was 7-6(10), 6-4. The clash concluded in a
time period of one hour and fifty three minutes in Tokyo.
Meanwhile, Andy Roddick from the United States of America extended his stunning hard court mark to a total of thirty five victories from forty three clashes, as he got past local favourite Tatsuma Ito in two sets. The final match score was 6-4, 6-3.
Andy, as a result of this victory will next take on Jeremy Chardy in the second round of the Japan Open 2010 after the world number sixty blasted a total of eleven aces to brush aside Edouard Roger Vasselin in straight sets.
Furthermore, Richard Gasquet from France who shares a record of 1-2 in ATP World Tour finals in 2010, improved to a match record of 32-17 on the year after beating Thiemo de Bakker in two sets on Tuesday. The final match score was 6-3, 7-6(8). The clash
concluded in a time period of one hour and forty minutes in Tokyo. Richard prevented a total of six out of seven break points before confirming his spot in the next round on Tuesday.
Tags: