Nadal/Lopez upset Llodra/Zimonjic in the first round – BNP Paribas Open 2012
Rafael Nadal and Marc Lopez of Spain upset third seeds Michael Llodra and Nenad Zimonjic in straight sets 6-4, 6-4 in the first round of the doubles event at the BNP Paribas Open in Indian Wells, USA on Friday.
The Spaniards needed just an hour and 14 minutes to oust the French-Serbian duo from the tournament.
Nadal and Lopez drew the first blood, as they snatched a break in the fifth game but Llodra and Zimonjic got it back immediately to level the score at 3-3. The Spanish pair captured two games in a row to grab it 6-4.
Llodra and Zimonjic started strongly in the second set, as they took a 2-0 lead. However, Nadal and Lopez won four games in a row to move ahead 4-2. The Spaniards did not drop their serves and sealed the set 6-4.
The French-Serbian combination helped their opponents’ cause by committing three double faults. The Spanish duo capitalised on four of the five break points they received in the match.
Nadal played his first match after a break of almost two months. His last match was when he lost to Novak Djokovic in the title match at the Australian Open in January.
He is the second seed in the singles event and will play either Alejandro Falla of Colombia or Argentinean Leonardo Mayer in the second round.
The Spaniard said, talking to the reporters before the match, “My reason for playing doubles is that I didn't play for a month. I think doubles is a good way to practice for everybody, where you can practice different movements,
different shots.”
He added, "When you have days off [from singles], you can play an extra match. And if you lose, you have another chance to be in competition. At the same time, I'm playing with one of my best friends, so that's another reason to
play."
Nadal won the title here in 2010 partnering Lopez. They defeated Daniel Nestor and Zimonjic in the final.
Last year, Nadal and Lopez lost to Roger Federer and Stanislas Wawrinka of Switzerland 5-7, 3-6 in the semi-finals.
They will meet either Ukrainian/Belgian combination of Alexandr Dolgopolov and Xavier Malisse or Frenchmen Nicolas Mahut and Gilles Simon in the next round.
On the other hand, world number one Novak Djokovic faced a first round loss. Djokovic and his countryman Viktor Troicki were beaten by the Spanish duo of Marcel Granollers and Feliciano Lopez in straight sets 5-7, 5-7.
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