Skip to Content. Skip to Navigation.
Tennis

News

No trouble for Nadal

No trouble for Nadal

01/16/2012 08:36:46 AM

Big guns Rafael Nadal , Tomas Berdych, Mardy Fish and Juan Martin del Potro all advanced to the second round of the Australian Open at Melbourne Park on Monday but their fellow seeds Fernando Verdasco, Juan Monaco, Ivan Ljubicic and Jurgen Melzer crashed out.

Second seed Nadal had no trouble in getting past American qualifier Alex Kuznetsov with the 2009 champion winning 6-4 6-1 6-1 in just 106 minutes.

Nadal showed no signs of the shoulder injury that hampered him in lead up with the Spaniard smashing 42 winners in the rout.

He will now play three-time semi-finalist Tommy Haas after the veteran defeated American Denis Kudla 7-6 (7-5) 3-6 6-0 7-5.

Czech No.7 seed Berdych, who was a quarter-finalist at last year's Australian Open, didn't have it all his own way as he was forced to work for a 7-5 4-6 6-2 6-3 win over Spaniard Albert Ramos.

Eighth-seeded American Fish, who reached the last eight at Melbourne Park five years ago, spent just over two hours on Show Court 3 before emerging with a comfortable 6-4 6-4 6-2 victory over Gilles Muller of Luxembourg.

Spanish 10th seed Nicolas Almagro fell behind early in his Court 6 battle with Poland's Lukasz Kubot but battled back to win 1-6 7-5 6-3 7-5, as did 2009 US Open champion del Potro, the Argentine 11th seed coming from a set down to see off stubborn Frenchman Adrian Mannarino 2-6 6-1 7-5 6-4.

But rising local star Bernard Tomic recovered from a two-set deficit to send Spanish 22nd seed and 2009 semi-finalist Verdasco packing 4-6 6-7 (3-7) 6-4 6-2 7-5, a couple of hours after Croatian Ivo Karlovic had dumped Austrian No.31 seed Jurgen Melzer 7-6 (7-3) 7-5 6-3.

And No.25 seed Monaco became the third seed to fall later in the afternoon when he lost 7-5 4-6 6-3 6-7 (7-4) 6-0 to German Philipp Kohlschreiber, while No.28 seed Ljubicic was also sent packing after he lost to Slovakian qualifier Lukas Lacko in another five-set epic 3-6 4-6 6-3 6-4 6-4.

Ukrainian 13th seed Alexandr Dolgopolov overturned a two-set deficit to defeat local Greg Jones 1-6 4-6 6-1 6-1 6-2, while Spanish No.18 seed Feliciano Lopez tamed Argentine Leonardo Mayer 7-6 (7-5) 6-3 7-6 (7-2).

Swiss No.21 seed Stanislas Wawrinka cruised to a 6-1 6-1 7-5 win over Frenchman Benoit Paire and South African 30th seed Kevin Anderson had a straightforward 6-1 6-2 6-4 win over Dane Frederik Nielsen.

Belgian Olivier Rochus booked a second-round date with Berdych after he beat German Bjorn Phau 6-1 6-4 6-0, while Colombian Alejandro Falla will take on Fish following his 6-3 6-2 3-6 6-1 victory over Italian Fabio Fognini.

Talented Bulgarian Grigor Dmitrov was a 4-6 6-3 3-6 6-4 6-4 victor over Jeremy Chardy to set up a clash with Almagro, while del Potro's next opponent is Slovenian Blaz Kavcic, who dumped British qualifier James Ward 6-4 6-3 6-4.

Tomic earned himself a shot at American Sam Querrey, who beat Frenchman Kenny de Schepper 6-3 6-2 6-2, while Pere Riba will take on Kohlschreiber after he beat fellow Spaniard Albert Montanes 7-6 (7-2) 2-6 6-4 7-6 (7-5)

German Tobias Kamke thumped Romania veteran Victor Hanescu 6-2 6-1 6-2 to set up a meeting with Dolgopolov, while Karlovic will next battle Argentine Carlos Berlocq after his 2-6 6-3 7-6 (7-3) 6-3 defeat of Dutchman Jesse Huta Galung.

Anderson's reward for his win

 
Photograph Copyright : Getty Images
Page12»

Latest Headlines

Cornet, Schiavone through to decider
Cornet, Schiavone through to decider
05/26/2012 01:17:36 AM
French wildcard Alize Cornet progressed to the final of the Internationaux de Strasbourg ...
 
 
Almagro thrashes Simon in Nice
05/26/2012 12:49:10 AM
 
French Open blow for Monfils
05/25/2012 04:30:25 AM
 
Berdych sees Czech's edge ahead
05/24/2012 10:28:23 PM
 
 
 

Your Say

Galleries

2012 Australian Open: Final
30/01/2012 1:05:03 PM
Victoria Azarenka claimed her first ever Grand Slam title while Novak Djokovic and Rafael Nadal produced one of the most remarkable tennis matches of all time.
2012 Australian Open: Semi Finals
28/01/2012 1:37:46 AM
Nadal and Djokovic will meet each-other in the Australian Open Men's Final and Azarenka will battle Sharapova in the Women's Final. Here's all the semi-final action.