Rafael Nadal defeats Santiago Giraldo in Japan
World number one Rafael Nadal progressed to the second round of the Japan Open on Tuesday, despite admitting that his current form is lacking the sharpness that he had shown earlier this season.
The Spaniard overcame Santiago Giraldo of Colombia in two straight sets, winning both 6–4.
The win came after Nadal suffered an unexpected defeat to compatriot
Guillermo Garcia-Lopez in the Thailand Open semi-final on Saturday. During that encounter, Nadal failed to convert 24 of the 26 break points he earned.
After defeating Giraldo, the top seed admitted to a recent dip in form, especially with regard to his service.
"I started a few games love-30. [Giraldo] played well. He was very aggressive. My serve was the worst it has been in the last 10 or 11 games, and I was a little more tired than usual and not focused on every point."
Nadal squandered five break point opportunities in the first set, failing to make easy work of his Tokyo debut. In the second set, though, his defensive game proved solid. Nadal defended two break points before going on to win the game.
The top seed will now face Milos Raonic, the 19-year-old Canadian player who lost to Carsten Ball in his first ever Grand Slam game at the US Open earlier this month.
It will be the pair's first singles meeting, though they did face each other in a doubles encounter at Toronto's Rogers Cup in August. Then, Nadal was partnered by Novak Djokovic, but the top duo failed to overcome Raonic and Vasek Pospisil in the first
round.
"I lost against him in doubles in Toronto," Nadal said about Wednesday's opponent. "He can play very well from the baseline and has a good serve so I have to be aggressive against him."
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