Spanish, number 5 in the world, defeated the German Yannick Hanfmann and was physically very solid in a match that lasted 2 hours and 42 minutes.
Rafael Nadal and Paula Badosa, two of the main Spanish tricks (cards), entered with solvency this Wednesday in the third round of the Australian Open, where they will also be the No. 1 in the world Ashleigh Barty and the reigning champion Naomi Osaka after two exhibitions.
Nadal, world number 5, defeated the German Yannick Hanfmann (126º) in three sets, 6-2, 6-3, 6-4.
Against Hanfmann, a rival who put up a fight, Nadal was physically very solid in a match that lasted 2 hours and 42 minutes.
Nadal, who had 30 winners to 26 of his own, needed five match points to finish the match.
“Today his level was much higher than his ranking indicates,” said the 35-year-old Spanish tennis player.
In the next round, on Friday, the winner of 20 ‘Grands’ will seek the pass to the round of 16 against the Russian Karen Khachanov (30º).
Against Hanfmann, a rival he had already defeated in 2009 in the first round of Roland Garros, Nadal added his 71st victory in the Australian Grand Slam.
Nadal, whose 2021 season was hampered by a foot injury, told reporters: “I said it before the tournament, things are not going to be perfect”.
“But every day that I spend on the court, the options to play better are higher. I think I’m doing things right. Things can get better and I have to get better. I want to continue in the tournament”, added the Spaniard, who after the absence of Novak Djokovic is the only one of the participants in the men’s draw that knows what it’s like to win the Australian Open.
Full Spanish incomplete
More suffered the Spanish Olympic bronze Pablo Carreno, who needed five sets and more than four hours of play to beat the Dutchman Tallon Greekpor 6-3, 6-7 (6-8), 7-6 (7/3), 3-6 and 6-4.
Much more placid was the game of the young Spanish Carlos Alcaraz, number 31 in the world at the age of 18, who beat the Serbian in three sets Dusan Lajovic (6-2, 6-1, 7-5).
Alcaraz will face the Italian in the third round Matteo Berrettini, number 7 in the world. For his part, Carreño will face the American Sebastian Korda, who also had to work hard to eliminate the Frenchman in almost five hours of play Corentin Moutet.
Garín, who came from eliminating the Argentine Facundo Bagnis, beat his Spanish rival in an epic five-set match 6-7 (1/7), 7-6 (7/4), 2-6, 6-2, 6-2 Peter Martinez (61st), who had just done the same against another Argentine in the first round, Federico Delbonis.
Garín will fight for the pass to the round of 16 with the winner of the duel between the French Gael Monfils and the Kazakh Alexander Bublik.
in ladies
In the women’s draw, three of the favorites to win the Australian Open, the Australian Ashleigh Barty (No. 1 in the world), the Spanish Paula Badosa (6th) and the Japanese Naomi Osaka (14th) qualified this Wednesday with solvency for the third round of the Grand Slam that takes place in Melbourne.
Badosa went over the Italian Martina Trevisan and qualified for the third round with an undisputed 6-0, 6-3.
“It was a difficult game, Martina is a fighter, I respect players like her a lot. I knew I was going to fight until the end, so I had to stay there at every point,” said Badosa, who had never reached the third round in Australia.
His next rival will be the Ukrainian Marta Kostyuk, who beat the Spanish Sara Sorribes 7-6 (7/5), 6-3.
The current Australian Grand Slam champion, Naomi Osaka.
The Japanese defeated the American 6-0, 6-4 Madison Brengle (54ª).
On Friday he will face the American Amanda Anisimova (60th) for a place in the round of 16, where she could cross the path of the No. 1 in the world Ashleigh Barty, who prevailed over the Italian Lucia Bronzetti.
The Australian required just 52 minutes to put a 6-1, 6-1 victory over Bronzetti in the Rod Laver and move up the draw. In the first round the Ukrainian had been imposed Lesia Tsurenko 6-0, 6-1 in 54 minutes.
With a commanding serve, Barty has not lost a single game serving in five straight matches. (D)
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