MELBOURNE: Rafael Nadal may have ended last year on the treatment table and a doubt for the year’s first Grand Slam, but he has already dealt an ace to any suggestions he cannot challenge for the title.
The world No. 1 beat Argentina’s Leonardo Mayer in straight sets on the Rod Laver Arena and claimed the manner of the victory proved he was getting back to the form he needs to be in to win a second Australian Open title.
”It was an important victory for me, he’s a tough opponent,” Nadal said after the 6-3, 6-4, 7-6 win secured in two hours 38 minutes.
“Leonardo is a player with big potential, he hits the ball so strong and you could see in the last couple of games how tough was he.
“I had to hit some great shots in the tie-break, he’s a very dangerous opponent.
“I am happy to be in the third round after being out of competition for a while, a second victory in a row is very important to me.”
He now faces plays Bosnian 28th seed Damir Dzumhur in the next round on Friday, when temperatures are forecast to hit 40 Celsius (104 Fahrenheit), with Nadal urging organizers to shut the roof on the stadium he plays on.
“The only thing that I hope, if it is extreme conditions, I hope the organizers shut the roof. I think is a health issue,” he said.
“Even I like sometimes to play when it’s hot. When it’s too much, it becomes dangerous for the health.”
As if the torrid temperatures were not enough to worry about, Nadal also revealed he was not taking victory against Dzumhur for granted.
“He’s a tricky one. The only way to win is play in a high rhythm than him and try to play aggressive, try to put the highest intensity possible out there. That’s what I going to try.”
Mayer played well and stuck to his guns, hitting 48 winners offset by 33 unforced errors and breaking serve for the only time in the match as Nadal was serving out to win, forcing the third set into a tiebreaker.
“He played a great game, all the returns in, very long, playing so aggressive, hitting all the balls super strong, and having success,” Nadal said of Mayer.
The win took the 31-year-old Spaniard’s Australian Open record to 53-11 as he chases his second Australian title after beating Federer in the 2009 final.
Rafael Nadal warns Australian Open field of serious title challenge
Rafael Nadal warns Australian Open field of serious title challenge
Real Madrid edge Valencia to stay on Barca’s tail, Atletico slump
- After Spanish champions Barca had beaten Mallorca on Saturday, Alvaro Arbeloa’s Madrid eked out a tight victory at Mestalla to keep the pressure on their arch-rivals
BARCELONA: Kylian Mbappe scored his 23rd goal of the season in La Liga to help Real Madrid claim a battling 2-0 win at Valencia on Sunday and close the gap to leaders Barcelona to one point.
Third-place Atletico Madrid slumped to a 1-0 defeat at home to Real Betis, three days after thrashing the Andalusian side in the Copa del Rey, falling further away from the top two.
After Spanish champions Barca had beaten Mallorca on Saturday, Alvaro Arbeloa’s Madrid eked out a tight victory at Mestalla to keep the pressure on their arch-rivals.
Missing suspended forward Vinicius Junior and injured midfielder Jude Bellingham, Los Blancos lacked sparkle but did enough to claim three points on Spain’s east coast.
Alvaro Carreras put the visitors ahead midway through the second half and Mbappe struck late on to seal their win.
“It was going to be a game where we had to have a lot of patience. I think it was a win that came because of how solid we were, and our focussed performance,” said Arbeloa.
“I think that we were fair winners.”
England international Trent Alexander-Arnold made his return after injury as a substitute in the second half of Madrid’s victory.
Arda Guler and Mbappe had chances in the first half, while Madrid right-back David Jimenez, from the club’s youth academy, came closest to scoring but was denied by goalkeeper Stole Dimitrievski.
Midway through the second half, Carreras conjured a goal out of nothing to give Madrid the lead.
Coming in from the left, the defender used his weaker right foot to stroke the ball inside Dimitrievski’s near post.
Valencia might have levelled but Lucas Beltran’s effort on the stretch clipped the post.
Madrid eventually secured the three points in stoppage time as Brahim Diaz teed up La Liga’s top scorer Mbappe to finish from close range.
“Right now he’s the best player in the world, for what he’s showing day after day and game after game,” said Arbeloa, who reiterated that Mbappe could live up to his boyhood idol Cristiano Ronaldo’s legacy at Real Madrid.
“As I’ve said before, it seemed like Cristiano was something alien, impossible to equal, and that nobody would get close, but Kylian is on a good path... it’s not easy, obviously, but if anyone can, it’s Kylian.”
Valencia’s fans, some of whom had waved white handkerchieves during the match in protest at the club’s situation, headed for the exits with Los Che 17th, one point above the drop zone.
“It’s normal that (the fans) are nervous, I would be too,” admitted Valencia captain Jose Gaya to DAZN.
Revenge mission
Antony’s first-half strike helped Betis win at Atletico, earning his side revenge for their cup mauling, and leaving Atletico 13 points behind leaders Barcelona.
Betis, fifth, continued their push toward the top four, now trailing fourth-placed Villarreal by four points, although they have played two more matches than the Yellow Submarine.
Diego Simeone’s Atletico waltzed into the Copa del Rey semifinals with a hefty 5-0 win at Betis on Thursday, but this was a far closer affair at Atletico’s Metropolitano stadium.
“It’s a tough defeat to take after the great game we had in the cup. We weren’t as good as the other day,” admitted Atletico captain Koke to Movistar.
“They set up a lot tighter at the back... We had very few chances and they played a great game.”
Betis coach Manuel Pellegrini made five changes to the team which crumbled at home and his side were determined to prove a point in the Spanish capital.
“I’m very happy for the goal and even more so for the victory — it’s been a very difficult week,” said Antony, who curled home after 28 minutes, beating Jan Oblak at his near post.
“We had to change, there was no other option... we’re sorry (to the fans) for the game in the cup.”
Atletico had the ball in Betis’s net with 15 minutes to go when Diego Llorente headed Giuliano Simeone’s cross into his own net, but Antoine Griezmann was judged to be fractionally offside and interfering with play.
Elsewhere, Athletic Bilbao beat Levante 4-2, Sevilla and Girona shared a 1-1 draw, and Getafe won 2-0 at Alaves.
