Nadal

Rafael Nadal didn't have things all his own way Tuesday, but he stepped up when needed to reach the Wimbledon second round for the 14th time.

His breakthrough run propelled the 23-year-old from No. 103 in the Pepperstone ATP Rankings to No. 51. But, from seemingly down and out, the World No. 41 began to turn the tables in dramatic fashion. "It was my first match and as I know, every day is a test and today was one of these important tests. He will face Ricardas Berankis in the second round after the Lithuanian defeated Sam Querrey 6-4, 7-5, 6-3. "It's obvious that for me it's been three years without being here, without playing on this amazing surface, so very happy to be back. For me, it's always amazing playing here on this court and I can't thank everyone enough for the support."

Rafael Nadal defeated Francisco Cerundolo in four sets at Wimbledon in his first match since winning the French Open earlier this month.

At Wimbledon, Lopez was making his 20th appearance, tying Jimmy Connors for second-most by a man, behind only Federer's 22 in the Open era. Lopez was playing in his 81st Grand Slam event, equaling Roger Federer's all-time record for most Grand Slam men's singles appearances. "Every day is a test and today has been one of these important tests," Nadal said Tuesday on court after his win.

Rafael Nadal needed to dig deep to see off a spirited Francisco Cerundolo and win his first round Wimbledon match 6-4 6-3 3-6 6-3 on Tuesday.

At 3-1 up, Cerundolo almost secured a double break but Nadal was able to claw back all four break points. He successfully served out the set after rescuing two break points. Especially considering the physical state I arrived in, the victory allows me to train tomorrow with another match in two days.” Wimbledon It’s taken a while; every day is a test, and today was one of th[ose] important tests. Wimbledon

Rafael Nadal made a stuttering but rousing return to the grass on Tuesday, beating 41st-ranked Francisco Cerundolo 6-4 6-3 3-6 6-4 in Wimbledon's first ...

He regrouped and used all his experience to battle back. He then dropped his serve in the fourth as Cerundolo's confidence and energy increased. Nadal won the first set after uncharacteristically coming into the net and forcing Cerundolo to hit a forehand wide.

Rafael Nadal has launched his bid for a third Wimbledon title, and third major in 2022, with a hard-fought victory over Argentine Francisco Cerundolo.

He won 11 consecutive points to go 5-4 up, then broke again, converting his first match point to keep the dream alive. At 40 years, 293 days, he is the oldest man to start the main draw singles at Wimbledon since 41-year-old Neale Fraser in 1975. Elsewhere in the men's draw, illness and injury was as much a treat to seeds as opponents. Nadal's path to the final has been eased by the withdrawal with COVID-19 of former finalist Marin Cilic, who he had been scheduled to meet in the fourth round. But the two-time Wimbledon winner dropped his level in the third set, allowing Cherundolo to take the match into a fourth. With the Australian and French Open trophies already in his locker, the Spaniard next needs to win Wimbledon for the first time since 2010.

Two lines on a Covid test proved devastating for Matteo Berrettini on Tuesday morning, but for at least half a dozen players in the bottom half of the men's ...

When Nadal went 0-40 down in the fifth, a decisive set was suddenly an odds-on shot, but again it was the jolt he needed to roar back into life. And if the 23-year-old enjoyed a little good fortune in game five to retrieve an early break of serve – Nadal slipped at 15-40 but still did almost enough to save the point – it was no more than he deserved. Several exceptional rallies edged Nadal’s way to get him to deuce and a brilliantly-improvised sliced forehand earned him the only break point he needed in the game.

Rafael Nadal escaped a tough first-round test and the Covid-19 chaos in his half of the draw to advance to the second round at Wimbledon.

Djokovic has said he has added motivation to win his fourth straight Wimbledon because he is not currently permitted in the U.S. to play the U.S. Open because he is not vaccinated against Covid-19. And in my case, the last three years I didn’t put a foot on a grass court, no? He said he played through the French Open because he received multiple anaesthetic injections during the tournament. Nadal has so far escaped the Covid chaos in his half of the draw that caused last year’s runner-up, Matteo Berrettini, and Marin Cilic to pull out of the draw. He is drawn to meet No. 1 seed Novak Djokovic in the final. He is now 15-0 in majors this season after winning the Australian and French Opens to increase his all-time men’s record to 22 Grand Slam singles titles.