Tennis giants Nadal, Serena fall
Spain’s Rafael Nadal. AP
Defending champion Rafael Nadal was ushered to the exit, while top-seeded Novak Djokovic cruised through his first match of the season at the Qatar Open on Tuesday.
Across the globe to Australia, world number one Serena Williams complained of tiredness after being trounced by Canadian Eugenie Bouchard at the mixed teams Hopman Cup.
The second-seeded Nadal, showing desire but displaying a rusty game, was upset by German qualifier Michael Berrer 1-6, 6-3, 6-4 in the first round.
This was Nadal’s first match since losing in the Basel quarterfinals to 17-year-old Borna Coric of Croatia in October. The Spaniard spent much of the autumn suffering from appendicitis and underwent an appendectomy on Nov. 3.
“These things happen after long time without being on the road, being on rhythm, being in competition,” Nadal said. “I was playing with more nerves because after long time (away) I wanted to win.
“When you are back from an injury, that takes time.”
The 127th-ranked Berrer broke Nadal to go ahead 3-1 in the second set, and then in the first game of the third set.
Berrer had never before beaten a top five ranked player. The 34-year-old father of two has already announced he’s retiring at the end of the year.
“It’s really unbelievable,” Berrer told the crowd after his win. “It’s my last season so I’m just going for it. Why not?”
Top-ranked Djokovic started off his 2015 season with a 6-2, 6-1 win in a 59-minute match against fellow Serbian Dusan Lajovic.
Djokovic put 72 percent of his first serve in play and was successful on five of six break point opportunities.
Djokovic is making his first career appearance at the Doha tournament. Historically, he doesn’t play a sanctioned tournament the first week of the year.
Meanwhile, Williams was humbled by the sixth-ranked Bouchard in straight sets as Canada upset the tournament favorites 2-1.
Williams went down one set against 12th-ranked Flavia Pennetta in her first outing in Perth on Monday but was rejuvenated by a mid-match coffee and went on to beat the Italian.
However, there was to be no coffee-inspired miracle against the sixth-ranked Bouchard, who doubled-faulted five times in her first two services games and yet cruised to an emphatic 6-2, 6-1 win over the 18-time Grand Slam singles champion.
Errors flowed off the Williams racquet during her match with Bouchard and the 33-year-old said she hadn’t been feeling at her best since arriving in Perth on Saturday.
“I don’t know what’s wrong with me, I am so tired, it’s so weird,” she said when asked if she was suffering from jet lag.
In beating Williams for the first time, Bouchard rebounded strongly from the disappointment of Canada’s opening tie, when she was beaten 6-0, 6-4 by the Czech Republic’s in-form Lucie Safarova.
The 20-year-old was delighted with the rapid improvement in her game.
“My goal was to be more active with my feet, try and go for my shots a bit more and be more aggressive,” she said.
“I think I did that well, I know she (Williams) definitely didn’t play her best but I am happy I stayed with it.”
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