Rafael Nadal struggles into second round while Jo-Wilfried Tsonga sails ahead – US Open 2011
Former world number one and defending champion, Rafael Nadal battled into the second round at the 2011 US Open at Flushing Meadows, New York after doing away with Kazakh Andrey Golubev in a straight, yet not so simple, sets victory.
Kicking off the evening session at the Arthur Ashe Stadium, it took Nadal almost three hours to secure a 6-3, 7-6(1), 7-5 win over the able, yet unlucky Kazakh going 1-0 in their head-to-head score. Although the Kazakh hit more
than twice the number of winners as Nadal (41-18), his unfortunate high total of unforced errors (59-16) weighed him down in the end.
Opening serve, Nadal raced to a 1-0 lead in the first set with a loss of one point. However, what seemed as a speedy start soon ran out of gas as the diligent Kazakh met Nadal’s every blow. Forcing the score to tick on even terms,
the Kazakh managed to go neck-to-neck with the Spaniard for the first six games. Following five deuces and a tiring eight game, Nadal was finally able to clinch a lucky break as he went 5-3 in the set score before serving out the set to secure a one set lead.
Down but not out, Golubev put up a remarkable fight in the second set as he bounced back to reel off three straight games securing a 3-0 lead. Unable to catch up, Nadal was still lagging in the score at 3-5 as Golubev readied himself
to serve out the set. However, the former world number one was determined to make it a straight sets victory. Reeling off his own three game streak, Nadal was finally able to force the set into a tiebreaker. From almost losing the set, Rafa bounced back as
he decimated the Kazakh in the tiebreaker securing a 7-1 win.
Entering the third set, Golubev once more put up a strong front as he broke the Spaniard early on to secure a 3-1 lead. However, the Kazakh’s lead was short-lived as Rafa finally broke back in the tenth game to bring the score
to even terms. Holding serve in the eleventh, Rafa broke the Kazakh once more in the twelfth game to sneak a 7-5 win, sealing his straight sets win.
Rafa now moves on ahead to play Frenchman Nicolas Mahut in the second round later in the week.
Speaking of Frenchmen, joining Nadal in the second round is the eleventh seed Jo-Wilfried Tsonga.
Opening against Taiwanese Yen-Hsun Lu, Tsonga registered a triple 6-4, 6-4, 6-4 win in a little over two hours. Hitting a resounding total of seven aces and thirty nine winners, Tsonga converted four of nine breakpoint opportunities
to his advantage as he cruised into the second round. Tsonga will next play Ukrainian qualifier, Sergei Bubka.
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