Toronto Masters Tennis: Nadal, Djokovic Win
Some of the leading players in the game are flexing their muscles at the Toronto Masters Tennis championship where a galaxy of stars have assembled at the venue.
On the second day of the tournament, Spain’s top ranked player Rafael Nadal was forced to work harder by Stanislas Wawrinka.
On the other hand, Serbia’s world number two Novak Djokovic had to tough it out on his way to a win to progress to the second round of the competition.
The tie between Nadal and Wawrinka went to the distance especially the first set which lasted for more than 90 minutes.
The second set was a stroll for Nadal, wrapping it up in 2 hours and 20 minutes in what was his fifth win against Wawrinka. The final score line was 7-6 6-3.
The opening set went to a tiebreak which was nailed by Nadal 14-12, which was the joint longest that the Spaniard had ever featured in.
Wawrinka gave it his best shot against his formidable opponent but the wind went out of his sails after the energy sapping opening set.
Nadal continued with his imperious touch in the second set as he gave a display of his talent and never say die attitude which has made him the top ranked player in the world.
His win gave his opponents a fair idea about his determination to win a third Canadian title.
"Yeah, very important victory for me. Sure, always, the first match when you start the first tournament after a while outside of competition and it's very difficult, and especially if I play against a big opponent like I did today," Nadal said courtside afterwards. "Stanislas is one of the toughest opponents that I can play, I think, in this first round. So I'm very happy how I saved some moments -- I was lucky some moments in the first set. And I think I played a good match."
World number two Novak Djokovic was also forced to work really hard for his 7-5, 7-5 win over Frenchman Julien Benneteau in hot and humid conditions that made his game suffer.
The match was played in soaring temperatures causing extreme fatigue to the Serb, whilst his opponent also suffered big time and was the one who wilted first in a match that lasted nearly two hours.
Djokovic has always found the going tough in hot conditions, and once again it was the weather that almost cost him the tournament as early as the first round.
The Serb was in agony from the outset appearing in a great deal of discomfort before pulling of a win in two hours. During the course of the match, he was forced to summon his trainer in the second set.
Luckily for the showman, the match did not go to the third set, and he brushed aside the challenge of Benneteau well in time.
Djokovic finished the match when he converted his fifth match point of the evening by smashing an overhead slam.
The British tennis sensation Andy Murray was the next to go as he disposed off Belgian Xavier Malisse 7-5 6-2.
The tournament is of critical importance for the Brit, as he attempts to keep his hold onto the number four ranking in the world, ahead of Sweden’s Robin Soderling.
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