Sport

Nadal races past Serra to make third round

Melbourne: Rafael Nadal is a patient man. Given his station in life, he’d better be. The charismatic Spaniard has been the heir apparent for so long that he can be forgiven if he were to believe that his position in the men’s tennis hierarchy was the throne itself rather than a mere stepping stone.

In the 35 years since the Association of Tennis Professionals rankings began in 1973, no man has spent as much time at No.2 and, certainly, nobody has ever been quite as content with the Man Who Would Be King tag for that long.

“Why frustrating?” asked the Australian Open championship’s second seed, on Wednesday, after racing past Florent Serra or France 6-0, 6-2, 6-2 to make the third round at Melbourne Park. “It is very good to be No.2, no? I would love to be the No.2 for the next 100 years.”

Given how quickly life expectancy is going up in the world — and factoring in for the revolution that is taking place in the science of life extension — Nadal, 21, might get his wish. But this much is sure: it is going to take an improbable succession of the near-superhuman champions like Roger Federer to keep the genial Spaniard in his place for that long.

Nadal moved to No.2 on July 25, 2005 and has occupied that position uncomplainingly for 130 successive weeks — the only player to finish No.2 three years in a row.

“It is a very good position,” said the three-time French Open champion.

“I am very happy about my last three seasons. I will try my best for being in the top position this season.”

Nadal lost in the quarterfinals here last year to the Chilean Fernando Gonzalez, who went on to make the final. That was the Spaniard’s best showing in Melbourne in three visits. But Nadal said on Wednesday that a succession of night matches had taken their toll last year.

“It’s tough, especially the next day. You can go to sleep at 5 or 6 and last year I was sleeping two times with the sun (after dawn) and it is difficult,” said Nadal.

If Nadal is hoping for fewer and shorter night matches, then he’d also be aiming at a longer stay in the year’s first Grand Slam championship.

In his opening match on Monday night against a qualifier,

Nadal looked subdued. But today, he played the best he has this season since beating his Mallorca mentor and friend Carlos Moya in an epic semifinal at the Chennai Open 10 days ago.

The hard training that he went through during the off-season seems to have paid rich dividends, particularly on his serves. Nadal served with greater confidence, power and accuracy than he has displayed in a long time.

Serra is hardly the kind of player who could have stretched Nadal on a day like this. The Frenchman helplessly watched Nadal win the first eight games of the match before winning one himself.

And the savage and brilliant demolition job carried out by Nadal, with a freshly hewn serve and a bullwhip cracking forehand, was only briefly interrupted in the second set when the second seed lost serve in the sixth game. “I play good, especially I started very good. I improve a lot with my serve and forehand too,” said Nadal.

Asked if he was aware that, depending on his own results and Federer’s here, he could take over as No.1 at the end of this championship, Nadal said, “I only try to play my best tennis and worry about me. I really don’t know about this No.1.”

Another Spaniard, Tommy Robredo, was hardly in Nadal’s league today. The 11th seed was beaten 6-1, 6-2, 6-3 by the American Mardy Fish.

In a first round match of the men’s doubles event, India’s Rohan Bopanna, playing alongside Rajeev Ram, an American of Indian origin, beat James Auckland (Britain) and Sam Querry (U.S.) 6-1, 7-6(5).

AP reports:

Fifth-ranked Maria Sharapova put an end to new mom Lindsay Davenport’s strong comeback, recording a 6-1, 6-3 victory to reach the women’s third round.

In the following match on centre court, sixth-ranked Andy Roddick was hot on a cool night to advance with a 6-2, 6-2, 6-4 win over Germany’s Michael Berrer.

“Obviously I’m disappointed with the way this match went and this tournament went, but I have to look big picture at this point in my career, and so far it’s gone pretty well the last few months,” Davenport said.

“I still feel like I’m the luckiest girl in the world.”

© Copyright 2000 - 2009 The Hindu