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Playing his first match at the US Open since lifting his fourth title in 2019, Rafael Nadal rallied from a set down to beat Rinky Hijikata 4-6, 6-2, 6-3, 6-3 in three hours and eight minutes in the first round.
The Spaniard, who played his first Grand Slam match in New York in 2003, improved his first-round record to 16-0 with Tuesday's win. Although the 198th-ranked player from Australia took the first set, the World No. 3 quickly shrugged off the rust to take control and advance to the second round.
Since withdrawing from Wimbledon due to an abdominal muscle tear, this was only the second match on the tour for Nadal. He faced a shock defeat to Borna Coric in the first round of the Cincinnati Masters a couple of weeks ago. With his win over Hijikata, the Spaniard remained undefeated at this year's Grand Slams with a 20-0 win-loss record.
Fans were ecstatic to see 22-time Major champion Rafael Nadal back at Flushing Meadows after three years and didn't hold back their emotions after his win.
"Gorgeous outfit, great energy. Not the best performance but still warming up. Rafa needs to improve every single skill specially (return) to have a chance in this tournament. Still undefeated in the Grand Slams this year 20-0. #VamosRafa," a fan tweeted.
"Epic match point from Nadal. Still looks so happy to be playing/winning, which I think is one of his biggest strengths. Never seen him burned out by anything on-court, ever," a user posted.
"Congrats Rafa- your shotmaking is artistry on the tennis court- wonderful as always to watch you play-a great opponent who made you really work hard- all the best against Fabio," another fan wrote.
Here are a few more reactions:
Rafael Nadal to face Fabio Fognini in R2
Rafael Nadal will have to quickly find his top form before Thursday, when he takes on Fabio Fognini in the second round of the US Open. Although second seed Nadal has a 13-4 winning record against the Italian, the Spaniard is likely to remember their meeting at the Arthur Ashe Stadium in 2015, where Fognini won the match after losing the first two sets.
In his opening match on Tuesday against Aslan Karatsev, Fognini once again fought hard and bounced back from two sets down to win 1-6, 5-7, 6-4, 6-1, 6-4 in three hours and 34 minutes. The last time Nadal and Fognini came face-to-face was at the 2021 Australian Open, with the Spaniard winning comfortably in straight sets.
Also Checkout:- US Open 2022 Schedule
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