Federer, Serena on song, Nadal rallies
Source: Agencies |
June 1, 2013, Saturday
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RAFAEL Nadal came from behind for the second match in a row on a busy Friday at the French Open, surviving another shaky start to beat Martin Klizan of Slovakia 4-6, 6-3, 6-3, 6-3.
Entering the tournament, the seven-time champion had lost only 14 sets in 53 matches in Paris. Now he has dropped the opening set in each of the first two rounds.
Last year, Nadal lost one set in the entire tournament en route to a record seventh Roland Garros title.
No. 2-seeded Roger Federer was broken in the opening game but held the rest of the way and eased into the fourth round by beating No. 30 Julien Benneteau of France, 6-3, 6-4, 7-5.
Top-ranked Serena Williams also advanced to the round of 32, and defending champion Maria Sharapova won a rain-interrupted match to reach the third round.
Nadal, forced to wait a day to play because of rain, lost serve four times and needed nearly three hours to reach the third round. When Klizan's final shot sailed out, Nadal gave the cheering crowd a relieved thumbs-up and managed a weak smile.
"I started a bit too defensive," he said. "I improved a little bit during the match."
Nadal also lost the first set of his opening match against Belgian Daniel Brands and was down 0-3 in the second-set tiebreaker before he rallied.
Eight titles
The Spaniard, now 54-1 at the French Open, is seeking to become first man to win eight titles at the same grand slam event. Since returning in February from a seven-month layoff because of knee trouble, he's 38-2, reaching the finals at all eight tournaments he has entered and winning six.
No. 12 Tommy Haas became the first 35-year-old since 2007 to reach the French Open's third round, beating 20-year-old American qualifier Jack Sock 7-6 (3), 6-2, 7-5.
The German next plays No. 19 John Isner, who overcame a two-set deficit for the first time in his career to win an all-American tie against Ryan Harrison, 5-7, 6-7 (7), 6-3, 6-1, 8-6.
Federer hit 31 winners to eliminate Benneteau, who had won when they played in Rotterdam in February. Federer is looking for a record 18th grand slam title, and his first since Wimbledon last year.
Williams, seeking her first French Open title since 2002, beat Romania's Sorana Cirstea 6-0, 6-2 and has lost only six games in three matches.
Williams swung hard, as always, but committed only 16 unforced errors and extended her career-best winning streak to 27 matches. "I play very aggressive," she said. "That's important for me, because I want to keep on winning here."
Sharapova needed only 15 minutes to close out a 6-2, 6-4 victory over 19-year-old Eugenie Bouchard of Canada. The match was suspended on Thursday with Sharapova up a break in the second set at 4-2, and she was relieved to finish.
"It was such a long day yesterday, and obviously it's always difficult to have to come back," the Russian said.
No. 12-seeded Maria Kirilenko of Russia defeated Australia's Ashleigh Barty 6-3, 6-1, and No. 13 Marion Bartoli of France delighted a partisan crowd on center court by beating Colombian qualifier Mariana Duque-Marino 7-6 (5), 7-5.
No. 4 David Ferrer reached the fourth round by beating fellow Spaniard Feliciano Lopez 6-1, 7-5, 6-4, and No. 7 Richard Gasquet of France swept Polish qualifier Michal Przysiezny 6-3, 6-3, 6-0.
Entering the tournament, the seven-time champion had lost only 14 sets in 53 matches in Paris. Now he has dropped the opening set in each of the first two rounds.
Last year, Nadal lost one set in the entire tournament en route to a record seventh Roland Garros title.
No. 2-seeded Roger Federer was broken in the opening game but held the rest of the way and eased into the fourth round by beating No. 30 Julien Benneteau of France, 6-3, 6-4, 7-5.
Top-ranked Serena Williams also advanced to the round of 32, and defending champion Maria Sharapova won a rain-interrupted match to reach the third round.
Nadal, forced to wait a day to play because of rain, lost serve four times and needed nearly three hours to reach the third round. When Klizan's final shot sailed out, Nadal gave the cheering crowd a relieved thumbs-up and managed a weak smile.
"I started a bit too defensive," he said. "I improved a little bit during the match."
Nadal also lost the first set of his opening match against Belgian Daniel Brands and was down 0-3 in the second-set tiebreaker before he rallied.
Eight titles
The Spaniard, now 54-1 at the French Open, is seeking to become first man to win eight titles at the same grand slam event. Since returning in February from a seven-month layoff because of knee trouble, he's 38-2, reaching the finals at all eight tournaments he has entered and winning six.
No. 12 Tommy Haas became the first 35-year-old since 2007 to reach the French Open's third round, beating 20-year-old American qualifier Jack Sock 7-6 (3), 6-2, 7-5.
The German next plays No. 19 John Isner, who overcame a two-set deficit for the first time in his career to win an all-American tie against Ryan Harrison, 5-7, 6-7 (7), 6-3, 6-1, 8-6.
Federer hit 31 winners to eliminate Benneteau, who had won when they played in Rotterdam in February. Federer is looking for a record 18th grand slam title, and his first since Wimbledon last year.
Williams, seeking her first French Open title since 2002, beat Romania's Sorana Cirstea 6-0, 6-2 and has lost only six games in three matches.
Williams swung hard, as always, but committed only 16 unforced errors and extended her career-best winning streak to 27 matches. "I play very aggressive," she said. "That's important for me, because I want to keep on winning here."
Sharapova needed only 15 minutes to close out a 6-2, 6-4 victory over 19-year-old Eugenie Bouchard of Canada. The match was suspended on Thursday with Sharapova up a break in the second set at 4-2, and she was relieved to finish.
"It was such a long day yesterday, and obviously it's always difficult to have to come back," the Russian said.
No. 12-seeded Maria Kirilenko of Russia defeated Australia's Ashleigh Barty 6-3, 6-1, and No. 13 Marion Bartoli of France delighted a partisan crowd on center court by beating Colombian qualifier Mariana Duque-Marino 7-6 (5), 7-5.
No. 4 David Ferrer reached the fourth round by beating fellow Spaniard Feliciano Lopez 6-1, 7-5, 6-4, and No. 7 Richard Gasquet of France swept Polish qualifier Michal Przysiezny 6-3, 6-3, 6-0.
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