Rafael Nadal cruises past Tommy Haas to reach the third round – Australian Open 2012
Second seed Rafael Nadal trounced over the German competitor, Tommy Haas, in straight sets at the first Grand Slam of the season, Australian Open 2012, on Wednesday. He registered a 6-4, 6-3, 6-4 victory over a former top-10 to book a spot in the round of
32 at this major tennis tournament taking place on the hard courts in Melbourne, Australia.
A former world number one, Nadal, displayed top notch performance and stayed on course to bid his second title at the Melbourne Park. He trashed the German, ranked 188 spots below him in the South African Airways ATP (Association of Tennis Professionals)
World Rankings, in almost two and half hours and extended lead in the head-to-head series by 5-0 against Haas.
The 25-year-old Spaniard showed his class right after he entered the Rod Laver Arena. He unleashed flurry of massive forehands to go on a four games rampage before Haas could hold on. Regardless of losing his serve in the eighth game, Nadal held remaining
serves and sealed the opener with a 6-4 success in almost an hour.
Spanish number one kept momentum rushing into the second set and earned coveted break in the opening game. Later, he kept entire serves and broke the German’s serve again in the last game, bagging the set with a 6-3 win.
Nadal eased into the third set and earned the break of serve again in the first game. Despite losing his edge in the sixth game, he maintained his intensity and broke Haas’ serve again in the last game, clinching the set with a 6-4 score line in 53 minutes.
Regardless of a hammering fewer aces as compared to Haas’ eight, Nadal clinched 38 out of 51 points on his first serve share to dominate. He brushed off only half of the four breakpoints he came across but cashed in six out of ten break opportunities and
finished the match with 96 points.
The seed started his 2012 campaign in style and cruised into the last four at the Qatar Open (lost to Gael Monfils). He then crushed American qualifier, Alex Kuznetsov, with double breadsticks in the opening round at this Grand Slam event.
Next up for the left-handed Spaniard is the winner of the match between Slovakian qualifier, Lukas Lacko, and American challenger, Donald Young.
World number three, Roger Federer, will accompany the Spaniard in the third round. He earned a walkover win against the German star, Andreas beck, to reach this spot.
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