Rafael Nadal's rough ride, Swiatek cruises

London, June 28

Rafael Nadal made a stuttering but rousing return to the grass today, beating 41st-ranked Francisco Cerundolo 6-4 6-3 3-6 6-4 in Wimbledon’s first round to begin his campaign for a third Grand Slam title of the year.

The 36-year-old second seed, who has not played at Wimbledon since 2019 and stayed away from warm-up tournaments with a chronic foot problem, looked to be motoring through the match until a series of unforced errors allowed Cerundolo, 23, back in.

The Argentine upped the tempo and used his booming forehand to overpower twice Wimbledon champion Nadal, who has won 20 other Grand Slam titles, taking the third set and breaking serve in the fourth. But Nadal, who won the Australian Open in January and the French Open earlier this month, regrouped and used all his experience to fight back, breaking a now nervy opponent twice to seal the match to the delight of a packed Centre Court.

36 wins in a row

World No. 1 Iga Swiatek recovered from a dip in her level in the second set to see off Croatian qualifier Jana Fett 6-0 6-3 in the first round and extend her winning run to 36 matches.

The 2018 junior champion, who exited the grasscourt Grand Slam in the fourth round last year, had the honour of opening the second day’s play on Centre Court in the absence of the retired Ash Barty who won the 2021 title.

Playing her first match since winning a second French Open title this month, Poland’s Swiatek powered through the opening set without losing a game — registering a 6-0 set for the 17th time this year. — Reuters