Rafael Nadal’s win over Jack Draper sees him match Jimmy Connors as he wins a match for the 21st consecutive season
The Spaniard started his title defence with a bang as he did away with British youngster Draper and reached another landmark
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Rafael Nadal after his first round win
22-time Grand Slam champion Rafael Nadal defeated British No.3 Jack Draper in four sets to win his first-round clash at the 2023 Australian Open. With this victory, Nadal entered the second round of the first Grand Slam tournament for the year for the 17th time in his career. The win means that Nadal has won a match in the Slams in 21 consecutive calendar years.
Nadal equals Jimmy Connors with this feat. He has won every year since 2003 and will aim to continue the streak further. The only player with more consecutive years of Slam wins is Nadal’s great rival, Roger Federer. But with the Swiss legend’s retirement last year, Nadal will have another record in his sights.
Nadal’s grit and determination were on full display against Draper. The Spaniard narrowly won the first set before struggling badly in the second. He took the initiative in the third set, however, with some brilliant shots helping him onto a 6-4 win. Cramps endured by Draper helped Nadal as the youngster struggled to keep up in the fourth set. Nadal closed out the match with six consecutive games to avoid any chance of an upset.
The match was a demonstration to the critics that Nadal was not done. The first seed was doubted constantly as he battled injuries and poor form towards the end of 2022 and the beginning of this year. As he always does, he found a new gear in a Grand Slam tournament. He looks fit to go toe to toe with any player the tournament might throw at him.
The Spaniard will face American Mackenzie McDonald after he beat his countryman Brandon Nakashima in five sets. Nadal will fancy his chances against the player, having defeated him before. The 36-year-old beat McDonald in three sets in the second round of the 2020 French Open. Nadal would go on to win that tournament without dropping a set. He would love to win the Australian Open in a similarly brilliant fashion.
Related: Rafael Nadal cuts Jack Draper to size at the Australian Open lung opener
Rafael Nadal’s path to the final at the 2023 Australian Open
Nadal has overcome his first challenge of the 2023 Australian Open. He will now look forward to the second-round clash against Mackenzie McDonald. But he will have his eyes set on the path beyond, where things heat up even more.
The Spaniard could face Frances Tiafoe in the fourth round of the tournament. The American was the one who knocked him out at the US Open and will be looking to get another scalp of Nadal here. Nadal will also likely face Daniil Medvedev in the quarterfinals, should he make it to that stage. The Russian will be keen for revenge at the repeat of last year’s Australian Open final.
Nadal has been placed in the other half of the draw to rival Novak Djokovic. The pair can only meet if they make it to the final. With the fans willing it to happen, we can see the veterans go face to face in their 19th Grand Slam final against each other on 29th January.
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Samarth Srivastava
(139 Articles Published)