Nadal makes fast start in Rome, Tsitsipas out

Spain’s Rafael Nadal reacts during his second round match against Spain’s Pablo Carreno-Busta on September 16, 2020. Pool via REUTERS/Riccardo Antimiani

ROME– Nine-times champion Rafa Nadal showed little signs of rust when he played his first match in 200 days as he beat fellow Spaniard Pablo Carreno Busta 6-1 6-1 in the Italian Open in Rome on Wednesday.

Nadal, who received a bye into the second round, has not played a tournament since winning his 85th singles title in Acapulco, having skipped the Western & Southern Open and the U.S. Open in New York due to COVID-19 concerns.

The match was also Nadal’s first on clay in 465 days after his French Open triumph last year and the 34-year-old Spaniard sent an ominous message to the field as he dominated the U.S. Open semi-finalist from start at an empty Foro Italico.

“It’s good to be back on the Tour but obviously the feeling is not the best playing without crowds,” Nadal said. “At least there’s one positive thing, the sport is back.

Nadal broke in the fourth game to take a 3-1 lead and did not look back, winning the last 10 points in the opening set to put down a marker for Carreno Busta who struggled with the pace of the ball on clay after two hardcourt tournaments.

The second set was more of the same as a visibly jumpy Nadal could not wait to get going between games and the world number two wrapped up the match in 73 minutes with 20 winners while Carreno Busta made 28 unforced errors.

“I played a good match, maybe he was a little bit tired from New York (where) he played an amazing tournament,” Nadal added. “It’s a perfect start for me, I played solid, some good shots with the forehand and backhand.”

Italian wildcard Jannik Sinner pulled off a stunning upset in the second round when he beat third seed Stefanos Tsitsipas 6-1 6-7(9) 6-2 to take revenge on the Greek who beat him in straight sets at the same stage last year.

Sinner, 19, led 6-1 5-2 before Tsitsipas mounted a comeback and saved match points in the tiebreak, but Sinner clinched the decider as Tsitsipas racked up 58 unforced errors in the contest.

Sinner will next face Bulgarian Grigor Dimitrov, who eased past Yoshihito Nishioka 6-1 6-0.

Earlier, top seed Novak Djokovic returned to winning ways after his U.S. Open default, beating Italian wildcard Salvatore Caruso 6-3 6-2.