22-time Grand Slam Champion Nadal Rafael made a winning start at the Madrid Open on April 25 as he thrashed 16-year-old American Darwin Blanch 6-1, 6-0 in the first round of the tournament at the Manolo Santana Stadium. This was Blanch's second appearance at a major ATP tour event after receiving a wild card to the main draw. During the game, Blanch couldn’t handle the weight of Nadal’s shots and made 27 unforced errors, including 20 off his forehand.
“I didn’t test much my body today. I played a decent match doing the things that I had to do to be through, but at the same time I played against a player ... making more mistakes,” the 37-year-old Nadal said.
I wish him all the very best for the future: Nadal
The age gap between the two opponents was 21 years and 117 days, the biggest between the two at the ATP Masters 1000 level. Nadal also spoke about Darwin Blanch’s performance and his preparation against the teenager. He also wished all the luck to Blanch.
“I think today I played against an opponent with a great future in front [of him], but today, still making mistakes. I just tried to be there, be solid all the time without taking a lot of risks,” Nadal said. “It worked well. I’m happy to be through and I wish him all the very best for the future,” Nadal added.
Nadal, who is making his 20th appearance in Madrid this fortnight, will face Australian 10th seed Alex de Minaur in his next match. The Australian beat Nadal 7-5, 6-1 in the second round of the Barcelona Open when the Spaniard was playing his first tournament since January after spending several months out with a hip injury.
Notably, 22-time Grand Slam Champion Nadal’s farewell appearance in the Madrid Open marks the end of an era in Spanish tennis.
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