Australian Open
On the way to his 21st Grand Slam title, Rafael Nadal did not let German qualifier Yannick Hanfmann deter him from his path. The Spaniard defeated the world number 126 on Tuesday. smoothly 6:2 6:3 6:4 and easily reached the third round. Ashleigh Barty, number one in the world list, is still on the move at breakneck speed and was on the pitch for less than an hour in round two.
While Barty needed 54 minutes for the 6-0 6-1 opening win over the Ukrainian qualifier Lesia Zurenko on Monday, she was two minutes faster in the 6-1 6-1 win over the Italian Lucia Bronzetti. In Melbourne, the 25-year-old carries hopes of becoming the first Australian tennis player since Chris O’Neil in 1978 to win the Australian Open. She now meets Camila Giorgi from Italy.
Barty can rely on her service. In the last five games she didn’t concede a single break, she managed 48 service games in a row. “I’m actually just constantly trying to make it my weapon,” said the world number one. “I’m not the biggest girl out there but I know I have solid technique and if I can get my rhythm right and use it effectively it can really be a weapon.”
Olympic champion fails in the second round
On the other hand, the end came for Olympic champion Belinda Bencic. The number 22 seeded Swiss lost to the American Amanda Anisimova 2:6 5:7. Bencic, 24, required lower back treatment in the second set and was visibly restricted in her movements.
For men, Nadal had little trouble on his second appearance in Melbourne, after 2:42 minutes the 35-year-old Spaniard had completed the task. “I know he’s dangerous. I think his tennis level was much higher today than his ranking position,” said the fifth in the world rankings, who was the only player in the men’s field to win the Australian Open in the absence of Serbian Novak Djokovic and is aiming for the 21st record major title.
