Rafael Nadal vs. Federico Delbonis: Score and Reaction from 2016 Olympics
Rafael Nadal sealed progression into the second round of the men's singles tennis tournament at the 2016 Rio Olympics, thrashing Federico Delbonis 6-2, 6-1 on Sunday.
The court one affair lasted little over an hour as the ATP world No. 5 outclassed the Argentine with a flurry of exquisite and efficient shots to bury his opponent.
He was forced to overcome a slight set back in the second set but did so in devastating fashion to secure a much-needed victory in his first official match for over two months.
.jpg?w=256 "Colts Jaguars Football")
Per New York Times tennis writer Christopher Clarey, Nadal had endured a long lay-off ahead of the opening round of the Rio Games:
The 2008 Olympic champion was eager to demonstrate he was ready for competitive action after being forced to overcome a long-term wrist injury. Per Cadena Cope (h/t the Guardian and Reuters), in the build up to the contest, Nadal admitted he was not in perfect shape.
"It’s evident that the condition of my wrist is not ideal and if it wasn’t the Olympics, I would not take this risk. However, having spoken to my team and with Conchita [Martínez], I’ve decided to play the singles and everything else.
There is always a risk but I trained six hours between Monday and Tuesday and although the wrist still bothers me, at least it hasn’t worsened and that is great news. I already missed London [2012].
"
The 14-time Grand Slam champion provided an indication of his conditioning with a strong opening set. Nadal was looking loose and relaxed with the racket in hand and displaying the endurance and movement fans have become accustomed to seeing for the Spaniard over the years.
Per Jack Board of Channel News Asia, dark clouds were appearing overhead during the contest with world No. 43 Delbonis:
Rafa broke his opponent at 3-2 before going on to see out the first set without dropping another game.
It proved to be a day of reckoning for the 30-year-old, as he downed any doubters with a complete display on the South American continent. Sports Illustrated's Jon Wertheim was one onlooker who was thrilled to see Nadal nearing his optimum level:
Per ATPWorldTour.com, Nadal won 63 per cent of his service points, combined with further impressive stats as a returner, winning 59 per cent off his opponent's serves.
The third seed told NBC (h/t ATPWorldTour.com) after the match: “I'm very happy. It's important for me to play well again and it was an unbelievable start. I played well mentally with strong concentration all match.”
Dropping just three games all match will set up Nadal for the remainder of the tournament, securing his place in Round 2 with a straight-sets triumph. Per ATPWorldTour.com, the iconic player will now face Italy's Andreas Seppi, who beat Illya Marchenko in his first outing of the tournament.
Post-Match Reaction
Nine-time French Open champion Nadal will be encouraged by his convincing display in Brazil over Delbonis, easing himself into the tournament with little complication.
Per ATPWorldTour.com, the Spaniard has now turned his attention toward upcoming opponent Seppi, who he feels could cause him a few problems in Round 2.
"Seppi is a very tough player,” Nadal was quoted as saying. “He can play very well on all surfaces with great control from the baseline. I have to change the rhythm of the match to have success.”
.jpg?w=480 "Colts Jaguars Football")
