Rafael Nadal’s day-glo outfit and his ferocious forehands lit up a gloomy Queen’s Club on Wednesday as the Spaniard marked his return to grass with a 6-2, 6-2 demolition of Brazilian journeyman Marcos Daniel.
Second seed Novak Djokovic gave the fans who had sat through several rain break a thumbs up after he joined Nadal in the third round with a 6-3, 6-3 win over Italy’s Paolo Lorenzi. Nadal, the 2008 champion, was unable to defend his title 12 months ago when his creaking knees ruled him out of playing any competitive matches on the manicured lawns of Queen’s or Wimbledon.
Nadal bounded on to an overcast Centre Court sporting a luminous green jacket, bag and bandana and appeared to be in a race against time to finish off the match before the heavens opened.
With just eight minutes on the clock, Nadal had flattened Daniel with an assortment of bewitching winners to race into a 3-0 lead.
It was little wonder that as a low flying helicopter drowned out yet another wave of prolonged applause for the Spaniard, Daniel looked up longingly at the rotorcraft perhaps wishing it would drop down on a line to rescue him from Nadal’s onslaught.
There was no such luck for the Brazilian and he lost the first set when he was broken for the second time with a delightful angled winner from Nadal.
The seven-times grand slam champion’s charge was briefly halted at 2-1 in the second set but after a 15-minute rain burst, he returned to court and ended Daniel’s torment with a crafty service return.
While Nadal extended his winning streak on grass to 13, Djokovic saved himself a long workout by saving all six break points he faced to down the world No. 96 Lorenzi.
GERRY WEBER OPEN
AP, HALLE, Germany
Lleyton Hewitt beat Thiemo de Bakker of the Netherlands 6-3, 6-3 on Wednesday to reach the quarter-finals of the Gerry Weber Open and said he was in ideal form.
The Aussie felt a twinge in his neck during the match but served well nevertheless to sweep past his opponent and continue his impressive comeback from a hip injury.
“I felt a bit of stiffness in my neck when I went back for a smash and I didn’t want it to get worse, but I was able to keep going, which was good,” Hewitt said.
“I served very well and cleanly — I have not put a foot wrong so far. If I can take care of my serve, then I feel I am as good a returner as anyone,” he said.
Hewitt will meet Andreas Beck in the last eight.
Philipp Petzschner defeated Viktor Troicki 7-6 (5), 6-3 to become the first name in the quarter-finals.
AEGON CLASSIC
AFP, BIRMINGHAM, England
Sara Errani maintained the feelgood factor surrounding Italian women’s tennis by advancing into the third round of the WTA Wimbledon warm-up event at Edgbaston on Wednesday.
Days after Francesca Schiavone became the first Italian woman to a win a Grand Slam singles title, Errani showed there was more than one woman in the Italian game worthy of note.
The fifth seed defeated Shenay Perry of the US 6-2, 4-6, 6-1.
It was a day of mixed fortunes for two British competitors with Elena Baltacha retiring after just seven games of her match against Kaia Kanepi but better news for Anne Keothavong, who reached the second round with a three-set win over Pauline Parmentier.
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