Despite the fact that at the beginning of the third set he was against the ropes and the match had to be defined in the tie break, the Spanish tennis player Rafael Nadal (3rd) did not disappoint in his absolute debut in the ATP 500 in Washington, he won this Wednesday 6-2 , 4-6 and 7-6 (1) to local Jack Sock (192º) and advanced to the round of 16.
It is likely that the Mallorcan left-hander expected a more relaxed debut in the American capital. However, the four-time champion on the circuit and former world number eight did not think he was a mere spectator and made a valuable performance, because he woke up after the weak first set and fought each point as if it were the last, extending the process until the three hours and four minutes of play.
Perhaps the triumph of the holder of 20 Grand Slam trophies in their showcases can be explained through the high level of concentration and precision used in the key moments of the match: lifted eight of 10 break points (80%), while the Nebraska-born only 3 out of six (50%).
Nadal will face South African Lloyd Harris (50th) in the next instance, 16th best seed, before whom he has no record and who overcame 6-4, 1-0 and abandoned North American Tennys Sandgren (83rd)
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