A day after Novak Djokovic liquidated Yoshihito Nisioka in three quick sets, as he did previously with Tatsuma Ito, less than 24 hours have passed since Roger Federer escaped the abyss to beat John Millman and also gain a place in eighth, Rafael Nadal He beat Pablo Carreño 6-1, 6-2 and 6-4 in one hour and 38 minutes and joined the list of the 16 best. As long as the opposite is not proven, and even more after the fall of Stefanos Tsitsipas, surprised in the third round by Milos Raonic, the tournament deserves to be seen from the perspective of the men who have won 13 of their last 14 editions, as Stan Wawrinka took The triumph in 2014.

After two unconvincing games, Nadal raised his credit in a great performance. Something would have to do the return to the day shift in Melbourne, where, according to consensus among the players, the ball flies more. Carreño, 30th, could only run and run before an opponent toned, alive, who regained authority with the drive . The Spaniard attended a thunderous concert of the winner of the tournament in 2009, there is an unquestionable ancestry of Nadal in front of his countrymen, whom he intimidates even more than most of the players on the circuit. With this victory he adds 23 against Spaniards in Grand Slam tournaments, for only three defeats, the last one against Verdasco, in the first round of this Australian Open, in 2016.

The Asturian, without alternatives

Carreño had the initial set in a sigh, barely realizing that he debuted at the Rod Laver Arena in the current edition of the tournament. Nadal was handled with forcefulness and dexterity, either through his header blow, with the backhand cut or through high balls, poisonous alternatives that developed his rival. Thus the game continued, the fifth victory of the left-hander in as many against the semifinalist of the United States Open in 2017, which tries to recover strength from a period weighed down by injuries.

There was no response from Carreño, because it was not easy to find her before a player as enraged, determined to dispel the doubts she had generated so far, despite having resolved her first two duels in three sets. The Gijón tried to speed up the game and be seen on the net, but everything was useless. Nor did he thrive in attempts to open with the reverse crossed over Nadal's drive , which awaited him with a lethal replica in parallel. Carreño's greatest consolation was to have an initial advantage in the third set, until he reached 0-30 afterwards in the second game. But Nadal, also better with the service, effective and regular, and with the reverse blow, broke once again in the fifth. There was no turning back. He is still alive in his career to match the 20 greats of Federer and, according to what was seen in this event, strengthened his tennis and his self-esteem.

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  • Rafael Nadal
  • Australian Open
  • Novak Djokovic
  • tennis

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