Australian Open 2021: “I had to survive,” Rafael Nadal gives injury update after winning his first-round matchup against Laslo Djere
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Rafael Nadal
Rafael Nadal took on Laslo Djere of Serbia in his opening round match at the Australian Open 2021. It was their first-ever meeting and the Spaniard’s experience came to his advantage. The 56th ranked player fell victim to the Spaniard, as he beat Laslo 6-3, 6-4, 6-1 to advance into the second round.
In the first set, Nadal raced quickly to a 3-0 lead, handing Djere the early break. Eventually, he got another break to take a healthy 5-1 lead. Soon after, the Spaniard got broken himself, but it was too late as he ultimately sealed the opening set 6-3. Laslo won 20 points in the set as compared to Rafa’s 27 points.
Djere started serving to begin the second set and after nearly 10 minutes he took a 1-0 lead. However, on his next service game, the Serbian player was broken as he always felt the pressure the Spaniard forced upon him. The one break proved enough for Rafa to claim the second set who served brilliantly, registering 91% of his first serves.
Nadal talks about his injury
In the third set, Nadal broke his opponent thrice, after converting all the breakpoints he received. Laslo hit thirteen unforced errors as compared to Nadal’s two. The Spaniard won 85% of his first-serve points whereas the Serbian player managed to win only 40% of them. Moreover, World No. 2 won twenty-five points in the set overall to his opponents mere ten points.
In the post-match interview, Nadal stated, “I had a difficult 15 days with my back. Today, I had to survive. I wish Laslo the best for the future. I’m here to do my best, as always. I can’t say anything else. We will see day after day. Today, I gave myself one more day to get better. I’m staying alive. Tennis is an important part of our lives, but we face something much bigger. Let’s take care of each other.”
Nadal will next face the winner of the match between Michael Mmoh and Viktor Troicki in his second-round match on Thursday.
Also Read: Australian Open 2021: Rafael Nadal makes a comeback defeating Serbia’s Laslo Djere
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