Nadal Brakes Through the Cerundolo Panic
Nadal Brakes Through the Cerundolo Panic. Tuesday wasn’t quite Rafael Nadal’s day, but he made the right decisions when they were needed to advance to the Wimbledon second round for the fourteenth time.
After three hours and 36 minutes of play, the Spaniard—who was playing on grass for the first time since 2019—displayed his signature tenacity to defeat Francisco Cerundolo in a challenging match, winning 6-4, 6-3, 3-6, 6-4.
‘First off, Fran deserves all the praise. He was a very tough opponent when he first started playing well, in my opinion. “In his interview on the court, Nadal noted.’ It’s clear that it’s been three years since I last visited and played on this fantastic surface, so I’m thrilled to be back. I can’t express how much I appreciate everyone’s support and how great it is for me to play on this court.’
On Center Court, in front of a big audience, Nadal fended off a mid-match comeback by an Argentinean player making his Championships debut. The 36-year-old, who had won the first two sets, was unintentionally behind in the fourth set by a break.
On his return, Nadal increased his depth and vigor as the pressure mounted, winning the match and going 31-3 overall. The second seed, who for the first time in his career won the first two majors of the year, is aiming for a Grand Slam victory that would extend his record to 23. Having defeated Sam Querrey with scores of 6-4, 7-5, and 6-3, Ricardas Berankis will be the opponent in the second round.
‘It takes time since we don’t play on grass courts very frequently, and in my case, it takes longer because of a variety of factors, including the fact that I haven’t stepped foot on one for the past three years. It was my first game, and as I am aware, every day is a test, and today was a crucial exam.’ He further adds, ‘I am aware that at the beginning of the competition, particularly given the circumstances surrounding my arrival here, winning is crucial because it allows me to practice again tomorrow and play another game in two days. Without a doubt, I’m pleased about that.‘
In his first encounter with Cerundolo, Nadal got off to a quick start, hitting 13 winners in the opening two sets as he took control of the match and found his footing on the London lawns. But from a seemingly hopeless position, World No. 41 started to dramatically reverse the tables. After winning the third set, Cerundolo broke again to begin the fourth set, winning a lengthy 12-minute game to bolster his resolve.
The World No. 4 rolled off the final four games from 2-4 to secure his victory, proving that closing out a set is never simple when you are playing Nadal.
Cerundolo wanted to become the first player to advance to the second round of a Grand Slam. The Argentine’s best performance so far this year came at the Miami ATP Masters 1000 competition, where he reached the semifinals. The 23-year-old rose to No. 51 in the Pepperstone ATP Rankings thanks to his impressive run.