Nadal Fires Early In Acapulco
Rafael Nadal is up and running at the Abierto Mexicano Telcel with a convincing first-round outing against Mischa Zverev on Tuesday night. The two-time Acapulco champion saw off his fellow left-hander 6-4, 6-3 as he safely moved through in 76 minutes.
The second seed held break points at 4-3 for the chance to serve for the opening set. Zverev – coming off an outstanding Australian Open campaign in which he stunned top seed Andy Murray en route to his first major quarter-final – confidently saved both as his net-rushing paid dividends to level for 4-4.
Serving to stay in the set, however, the German faltered. He pushed a low forehand volley long to fall behind 0-30 before Nadal brought up two set points when he ripped a forehand pass down the line. The Spaniard took the set on his third opportunity with an off-forehand return winner for 6-4.
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Nadal secured the break for 3-1 in the second set and from there he sustained the advantage. He arrived at two match points when Zverev fired a backhand return long and sealed it on his first with a blistering backhand return pass down the line.
His 28 winners were 15 more than his opponent’s and the result extended his FedEx ATP Head2Head ledger with the German to 2-0 after an earlier win in Brisbane this year. He awaits the winner of Paolo Lorenzi and Yoshihito Nishioka.
Sixth seed Nick Kyrgios joined Nadal in the second round, but it was in contrasting fashion. The Australian survived a slow start to prevail against Israel’s Dudi Sela 3-6, 6-3, 6-3.
Kyrgios' eight aces and three breaks of serve helped him to advance in 93 minutes. American Donald Young is next, after earlier defeating Kyrgios’ countryman, Bernard Tomic.
The point of the night? ???? Brilliant stuff from both @RafaelNadal and Mischa Zverev. https://t.co/2piQ0MU4CQ
— Tennis TV (@TennisTV) March 1, 2017