On his return to competition, Rafael Nadal could not avoid the defeat against the British Cameron Norrie (3-6, 6-3 and 6-4) who took advantage of the lack of minutes on the track of the Balearic Islands to turn the score around and thwart the staging of Spain in the new United Cup.
The start of the season for the number two in the world ran into a most rounded rivalwith more minutes on the court of the Ken Rosewall Arena where he had already played and won, in the first day of this Group D, against Australia and against Alex de Miñaur.
Nadal, what I had not jumped on a track since last December 2 ended his exhibition tour of Latin America, he had a good start against Norrie, whom he had won on the four previous occasions in which they had faced each other. The last one, in the final of the Acapulco tournament last year.
That was not the case in Sydney, in the group stage of the first edition of this event that kicks off the new season. Norrie, supported by his efficiency with the first service, he turned around a game that he had against at the beginning, when the Spaniard was fresh and put the score on his side when he got the break in the sixth game. He closed the partial without excessive difficulties the winner of twenty-two Grand Slam.
Norrie, 27, fourteenth in the world and with four trophies to his credit, including those in Lyon and Delray Beach in 2022 that is ending, kept up with Nadal who began to accuse the lack of filming. The player born in Johannesburg obtained the first ‘break’ in the sixth game of the second set. The Spaniard did not take advantage of his chances to balance the situation and lengthen the sleeve and the duel went to the final stretch.
Cameron Norrie’s efficiency with the first serve did not decline and that helped him against the Spaniard who intends to prop up his filming for the Australian Open in Sydney, the first Grand Slam of the season, where he will defend the title achieved last year. He helped the British serve in decisive moments. In order not to allow the Spaniard to balance the game and to close each set that he put into play. He did not allow the reaction of the Spanish that he could not extend a game that lasted for two hours and 45 minutes.
Rafael Nadal, who started 2022 in a spectacular way, with twenty-one victories in a row and three successes to his credit, suffered his first setback of the new year in Sydney.
Cameron Norrie’s victory puts ahead to Great Britain in the confrontation against Spain. Next, Nuria Párrizas will face Katie Swan to complete the first day of the Spanish team led by Marc López in the first edition of this tournament that opens the new season.
