Alexei Popyrin, a 21-year-old boy, had to go out to Philippe Chatrier on Tuesday to face a man who has a statue in the tournament and a hundred victories behind him. A difficult task to assimilate, but much more complicated to carry out. Because Nadal premiered his effigy, the one that promised him the tournament four years ago, with a routine win for him. He bowed Popyrin by (6-3, 6-2 and 7-6 (3)), saving two set balls in the third, and added his 101st victory in Paris.
Two years later, Nadal returned to Roland Garros of yesteryear, the heat, the sun and the spring that already touches the summer. Gone is the last autumn tournament, the most difficult for him, which still ended in joy. With the slow return to normality, the Spaniard was exhibited in what is already a routine every year for his interests. A devastating debut, although with fright. Accumulate 17 wins in 17 presences in this round, in which only three sets have been left. Two against John Isner in 2011 and one against Daniel Brands in 2013. Since then, he has accumulated 24 sets won in a row. What’s more, only Simone Bolelli has beaten him more than five games in a set since then. And the Australian put the streak in jeopardy.
Popyrin, who was the junior champion of this tournament the year Nadal won the 10th Roland Garros, came out boldly, as he tried in Madrid just a few weeks ago, but the resistance lasted six games. The Balearic Islands took a long time to dominate the game, which cost him to take the temperature of a silent track by the little public who was able to get close to the Chatrier. When Nadal accelerated, the Australian noticed the damage and found himself facing a commuter train that ran him over.
Nadal took the last three games of the first set and the first four of the second. In just over an hour it was placed 6-3 and 6-2, an advantage that nobody has raised in Paris. The oceanic, with good height and hand to try to penetrate Nadal’s background game, had to let go to have a chance.
He equalized the match in the third, even went ahead and had a 5-3 in favor, with two set points. One wasted it with a double fault; the second, the one he had on track, sent him to the wall with a failed shot. A forehand that did not even enter the doubles hall and a long error ended his advantage. Nadal rebuilt, made it 5-5 and had three balls to break Popyrin’s serve. Heroic, the Australian rescued them all for force a ‘tie break’, Nadal’s fifth in the last eight years in Paris. The Spaniard, who has not lost a tiebreaker in this tournament since he did it against Robin Soderling in 2009, did not miss either. He fastened the victory with tension, in a mini scare that did not go away.
Nadal’s next opponent in the second round will be an old man known as Richard Gasquet. The Frenchman, who beat his compatriot Hugo Gaston in three sets, will face the Spanish for the seventeenth time, in a duel that has always resulted in victory for Nadal.
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