Rafael Nadal overcomes early scare to beat Rinky Hijikata at US Open

Four-time US Open winner Rafael Nadal bounces back from an opening set scare to beat 21-year-old wildcard Rinky Hijikata in the opening round as the Spaniard makes his first appearance at Flushing Meadows since his 2019 win

• Second seed Rafael Nadal beat Rinky Hijikata 4-6, 6-2, 6-3, 6-3 in the first round
• The wildcard gave the veteran a scare as he incredible won the first set Tuesday
• But Nadal battled back as he gathered momentum and won the next three sets 
• The 22-time Grand Slam winner made his first appearance since his 2019 win

Second seed Rafael Nadal overcame an early scare to down 21-year-old Australian wildcard Rinky Hijikata 4-6, 6-2, 6-3, 6-3 Tuesday in his first appearance at the US Open after winning in 2019.

Playing in only his second match after pulling out of Wimbledon with an abdominal injury, the Spaniard had speculated whether he was ready to take on New York and seemed to confirm those fears as he struggled on the return in the first set.

Hijikata incredibly broke the 22-time major winner with a crisp overhead shot in the seventh game of his Grand Slam debut but it was Goliath who got the momentum over David under the bright lights of Arthur Ashe Stadium, as the fighter Nadal charged through the first three games of the second set.

Rafael Nadal (above) beat Rinky Hijikata 4-6, 6-2, 6-3, 6-3 in the first round of the US Open 

The 22-time major winner made his first appearance at the tournament since his 2019 win 

21-year-old wildcard Hijikata gave the veteran a scare as he won the opening set Tuesday

Nadal improved in virtually every respect as his opponent’s form deteriorated, dropping just one of his first-serve points with few mistakes, as Hijikata racked up a dozen unforced errors and dropped his serve in the final game.

Thriving on familiar territory, the four-time Flushing Meadows winner Nadal never faced a break in the third set and broke Hijikata to love in the fifth game of the final set before recovering from 0-40 in the eighth to hold his own serve.

Hijikata gave the rowdy New York crowd a final thrill as he defended four match points in the ninth before succumbing to Nadal’s vicious forehand winner.

‘Long wait – for some time I thought that maybe I will not be able to be back,’ Nadal said in an on-court interview after the match. ‘The night sessions here in New York are the best without a doubt.’

Nadal battled back as he improved in virtually every respect to win the next three sets

Nadal and Hijikata converse and shake hands at center court following first round matchup

Source: Read Full Article