"Probably one of the worst starts ever" - Rafael Nadal on his 2022 US Open 2R win against Fabio Fognini

Rafael Nadal called his slow start to the win against Fabio Fognini "one of the worst ever" and stated that he did not make a competitive start to the match. The Spaniard came from a set down to beat the Italian 2-6, 6-4, 6-2, 6-1 and seal his place in the third round of the 2022 US Open.

Fognini led by a set and was ahead by a break on three occasions in the second set before Nadal found his rhythm and made his way back into the contest.

In his post-match on-court interview at the Arthur Ashe Stadium, the 36-year-old said he tried his best to start strong but couldn't find his touch.

"Well, I was trying to go for the shots since the beginning but the shots were not there today. To go for the shots and I needed to be on the rhythm, to start to hit balls to the middle without risk, just feel myself when I'm hitting the ball. I start to put three to four balls inside, then you can start to go for the shots," he said.

He stated that he was not competitive enough at the start of the match, which is why he found himself a set and 4-2 down.

"For more than one hour and a half I was not competing. One of the worst starts probably ever, but yeah, that's part of the game, you know? You need to stay humble, you need to accept the situations," he said.

Nadal added that the turnaround in the clash happened when he took the second set courtesy of a few mistakes from Fognini.

"I was lucky honestly that Fabio makes some mistakes in that second set and then I was able to win that set. And then the things become a little bit more normal. But of course, wasn't a good match," he said.

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"Huge respect for him, a great guy and the past doesn't matter" - Rafael Nadal on Richard Gasquet

Rafael Nadal celebrates after defeating Fabio Fognini at the 2022 US Open.

With the win against Fabio Fognini, Rafal Nadal has sailed through to the third round of the US Open for the 14th time in his last 14 appearances. He will face former World No. 7 Richard Gasquet on Saturday.

Over the years, the Mallorcan has dominated the Frenchman. They have played against each other 17 times to date, and Nadal has won on all occasions. That said, the World No. 3 believes that the past doesn't matter when both players take to the court on Saturday.

"Well, I know very well Richard, he knows very well myself. We have a great story together since we played like we were 12, growing up together. So huge respect for him, happy to see him playing very competitive again. He's a great guy and gonna be a challenge for me, doesn't matter the past. It’s another opportunity for him and for me to be in the fourth round of the US Open," he said.

Also Checkout:- US Open 2022 Schedule