Rafael Nadal beats his former ball boy Wu Di in the China Open

Nadal struggled to win against his former ball boy Wu Di in China Open

Rafael Nadal progressed to the second round of the China Open after beating wildcard entry Wu Di, who happens to be his former ball boy, reports the BBC. Although Wu Di, who has an ATP ranking of 230, lost to Nadal he managed to break four of the Spaniard’s serves.

Chinese player Wu’s most remarkable performance to date has been against current World No. 100 Yen-Hsun Lu in the 2011 Davis Cup and World No. 70 Denis Istomin in 2014. Although he would have liked to win against the former No. 1 Nadal, he can take solace in the fact that he was able to trouble an icon for whom he was a mere ball boy.

The 29-year old, who is undergoing one of his career’s worst season managed to beat the Chinese player 6-4 6-4. The victory though didn’t come easily to the world number eight as he dropped three straight games on his serve in the second set.

"The last three games of the match I was playing better. I hit some good forehands down the line and that's why I finished well,' said the 29-year-old Spaniard.

This was Nadal’s first match since being knocked out of the US Open last month. The 14-time Grand Slam champion lost in the third round of the US Open to Italy’s Fabio Fognini, ending his 10-year run of winning at least one Grand Slam singles title.

Fognini managed to beat Nadal after winning a five-set 3-6, 4-6, 6-4, 6-3, 6-4. The event was also the first time the former US Open champion lost in a Grand Slam after being two sets up

Nadal will now have to face Canada’s Vasek Pospisil in the second round.

Djokovic continues his perfect form

Novak Djokovic who came into the series after defeating Nadal in an exhibition match in Bangkok continued his perfect record in the China Open after beating Italian Simone Bolelli 6-1, 6-1. His 25-0 unbeaten run started in 2009, when he won the first of five China titles and it looks like he might take his sixth title home this year.

Top Seed Djokovic will have to face Australian qualifier John Millman in the second round.

Women’s Event

In the women's event, Italian Flavia Pennetta who won the US Open beat Brazilian Teliana Pereira 3-6, 6-0, 6-4 to qualify for the third round.

Caroline Wozniacki though went through easily after she defeated Chinese wildcard entry Wang Qiang 7-5, 6-0.