Round Loss In Australian Open Signals Return To Elite Status Unlikely

A veteran Spanish lefthander and a 25-year-old Chinese qualifier who almost quit tennis last year are back in action Thursday at the Australian Open, hoping to prove that their upset wins over two of the top players in the first round were no flukes.

It wasn’t a semifinal this time, though, and It didn’t end almost as well for Rafael Nadal, who lost, 7-6 (8-6), 4-6, 3-6, 7-6 (7-4), 6-2, to Fernando Verdasco and was eliminated in the first round of a Grand Slam tournament for only the second time in a career that has netted him 14 major titles.

Verdasco lost his first 13 matches to Nadal, including another five-set classic in the 2009 semi-final here which last for over five hours.

At Rod Laver Arena, the match between fifth-seeded Maria Sharapova and American Lauren Davis has gone to a deciding set after Sharapova won the first set 6-1 and Davis took the second-set tiebreaker 7-6 (5).

It was the first time Nadal had lost in the opening round of a major tournament since his shock loss to Steve Darcis at Wimbledon in 2013.

“It’s a hard and painful loss, ” Nadal said after the match.

“People have came to me and told me about that match so many times”.

“I wasn’t able to do much damage with my forehand, so I was hitting forehands and he was able to keep hitting winners”, Nadal said.

On the women’s side, Simona Halep will also be booking an early flight out of the country, after China’s Zhang Shuai overpowered the Romanian 6-3, 6-4.

But Verdasco overcame an early break in the fifth set to turn the tables on his good friend, in the process delivering the 14-times major victor only his second first-round loss in 44 grand slam appearances.

After surrendering a 5-2 lead in the fourth set, he dug deep to win the tie-break and take the match the distance. “I don’t know how, just, you know I was closing the eyes and everything was coming in and I keep doing it and I was doing well”.

epa05110600 Rafael Nadal of Spain prepares to serve to Fernando Verdasco of Spain during their first round match at the Australian Open Grand Slam tennis tournament in Melbourne, Australia, 19 January 2016.

French Open champion Wawrinka was leading, 7-6 (7-2), 6-3, when his opponent, Dmitry Tursonov, retired with what appeared to be an upper-leg injury.

After beating Halep, Zhang burst into tears when asked about breaking the drought. I can not really say anything more, no? “It was an incredible moment to be in the final of this event again”, said Sharapova, who played her first-round match on Margaret Court Arena, one of three covered stadiums at Melbourne Park.

“I wanted try one more time, only one more time, yeah”, she said. Nadal played better in the next two.

HEWITT KEEPS GOING: Lleyton Hewitt’s Australian Open retirement party continues when he plays eighth-seeded David Ferrer, a considerably tougher opposition than Hewitt’s first-round rival, fellow Australian James Duckworth. The reports alleged 16 players, all ranked in the top 50 at some stage and half of them playing at the Australian Open, had repeatedly raised suspicion due to their results and had been flagged with tennis authorities, but had not been sanctioned.

The governing bodies for tennis rejected the claims, and highlighted the fact five players and an official had received life bans after investigations from the Tennis Integrity Unit which was set up in 2008. Ferrer defeated Peter Gojowczyk 6-4, 6-4, 6-2 while Raonic riding on his 22 aces won 6-4, 6-4, 6-1 against Louis Pouille of France. He played more aggressive than me. Obviously is tough, especially because is not like a year ago that I arrived here playing bad and feeling myself not ready for it.