Rafael Nadal is trying his luck for probably the last time at the Madrid Open. He secured an easy win over American teenager Darwin Blanch with hardly any effort in his first-round match, which lasted for just 64 minutes on Thursday (April 25) on Manolo Santana court.
Nadal did not allow the 16-year-old to win more than one game in the entire match, winning with a scoreline of 6-1, 6-0. It was the American’s second-ever match, and he surely did not expect to face the King of Clay after receiving the wild card.
After the match, Nadal was all praise for the teenager. The 37-year-old admitted that though Blanch made many mistakes, he had to play boldly without taking any risks.
I think today I played against someone with a great future in front of him. Today he was making mistakes. I tried to be there and be solid all the time without taking a lot of risks. Happy to be through. Wish him all the best future. Rafael Nadal said
The duo also set the record for the largest age gap in an ATP 1000 Masters event. In the match, the World No.1028 tried several times to throw aces, but it was ineffective in front of the Spaniard. Blanch hit 15 unforced errors compared to the Spaniard’s four.
Rafael Nadal will face Alex de Minaur in second round
There were glimpses of vintage Rafael Nadal against Darwin Blanch but whether the Spaniard will play mercilessly in the Round of 64 is uncertain. Nadal will once again face Australia’s Alex de Minaur. Fans are happy to see a formidable Nadal and expect the same in the next match.
De Minaur was the reason behind Nadal’s Barcelona Open exit last week. In the Round of 32, the Australian prevailed with a scoreline of 7-5, 6-1. The second-round match in Madrid will be their fifth encounter. De Mianur has the chance to tie the head-to-head record 3-3 if he wins the upcoming match against Rafa.
Even if the Madrid Open ends up as Nadal’s last one on home soil, then fans have nothing but to wish for his triumph in the tournament, where he is a five-time champion. If everything works for him, he will participate in Roland Garros, or else, he hinted that he may end up missing it.
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