Australian Open 2023: Defending champion Nadal into second round with 4 sets win
Top seed and defending champion Rafael Nadal defeated Briton Jack Draper 7-5, 2-6, 6-4, 6-1 in a hard-fought four-set first round start at the Australian Open on Monday. 36-year-old Rafael Nadal has reached the second round of the Australian Open for the 17th time. The match lasted for three hours 41.
The 21-year-old Jack, playing his first Australian Open, gave a tough fight to Nadal in the first set. He lost the set 5–7. After this, by winning the second set 6-2, Jack showed that he would not let Nadal win easily. However, Nadal took advantage of his experience at the Rod Laver Arena by winning the third set 6–4 and the fourth set lopsided 6–1 to advance to the second round. Nadal had lost six of the seven matches before this.
Medvedev and Tsitsipas win
In other men’s matches, seventh seed Daniil Medvedev of Russia beat Marcos Giron of America 6-0, 6-1, 6-2, while third seed Stefanos Tsitsipas of Greece beat Quentin Halys of France 6-3, 6-4, 7-6 and entered the next round. Apart from this, Cameron Norrie of Britain, Felix Auger Aliassime of Canada, Frances Tiafoe of America, Karen Khachanov of Russia, Hubert Hurkacz of Poland, Jannik Sinner of Italy have also reached the next round by winning their respective matches.
Iga, Jessica, Coco, Daniel advance
Among women, top seeds Iga Swiatek of Poland, Jessica Pegula of America, Coco Gauff, Danielle Collins have also made it to the second round. Swiatek defeated Germany’s Jule Niemeier 6-4, 7-5 in a first round match that lasted one hour and 59 minutes. Iga will face Colombia’s Camila Osorio in the second round on Wednesday. Iga has made it to the second round of the Australian Open for the fifth time in a row. Last time she reached the semi-finals. Third seed Pegula beat Romania’s Jaqueline Cristian 6-0, 6-1, while seventh seed Gauff beat Czech Katerina Siniakova 6-1, 6-4.
