| Thursday, 26 June 2008 Written by Ronald Atkin Rafael Nadal had wanted an early finish – there’s the small matter of a certain football match dominating Spanish thoughts this evening – but was given a tough test by Latvian teenager Ernests Gulbis before winning 5-7 6-2 7-6 (7-2) 6-3 to reach the second round. Nadal, whose footballer uncle played at Euro ’96, had apparently asked schedulers if it was possible for him to have an early match to permit him to get away from the tennis in time to watch Spain’s Euro 2008 against Russia this evening, and it was a wise precaution, since he was fully extended for two hours and 56 minutes. The second seed, facing a heavy hitter on courts which are becoming faster by the day, had his work cut out to contain the exuberant Gulbis. Far from being fazed by an appearance on No.1 Court, he was full of confidence, even overconfident at times, as his total of 35 unforced errors indicated. It took Nadal all of the first set to come to terms with the Gulbis serve, which produced a total of 16 aces and peaked at an incredible 81% first serve average in that first set. Gulbis never allowed Nadal anywhere near a break point and, after 47 minutes with a whoop of joy, the Latvian celebrated the capture of the opening set. Now was the time for Nadal, a keen amateur fisherman, to begin the process of reeling his man in and he did it in some style, breaking the hitherto impregnable Gulbis twice to take the second set in 33 minutes and level the match. Though he was having problems dealing with the Spanish wrecking ball, Gulbis battled bravely, though as Nadal's heavily-spun and cunningly sliced shots landed time and again within centimetres of the lines, even he joined in the applause. After the fifth game of the third set Gulbis, who had been rubbing his left knee from time to time, had treatment on it. The knee appeared to have no effect on his ability to run and retrieve, but when the third set moved into a tiebreak Nadal upped the level another notch, striking mighty forehands to take it by seven points to two. Before the fourth set Nadal took time to treat his racket hand for blisters, and then set about completing the job, breaking a tiring Gulbis for a 5-3 lead and then serving out for the match, despite the hiccup of his only double fault while doing so. It was a deserved victory but hard won, just as he had predicted. Now for the football.
| Court 1 - Gentlemen's Singles - 2nd Round | |
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