Rafael Nadal overpowered qualifier Go Soeda 6-3, 6-2 as he began the defense of his Japan Open title in a blur of swashbuckling winners yesterday.
The top seed produced some dazzling shot-making under floodlights in Tokyo, taking the first set with a jaw-dropping backhand lob at full stretch with Japanese Soeda marooned at the net.
Nadal, sweat dripping from his purple T-shirt, kept his foot on the gas in the second and the Spaniard teed up match point with a superb running forehand down the line.
Photo: AFP
The world No. 2 swiftly ended proceedings, ripping another forehand deep into the corner to trigger a stampede as fans rushed from their seats for the chance of an autograph.
Nadal next faces big-serving Canadian Milos Raonic, who beat Japan’s Yuichi Sugita 6-7, 6-3, 7-6 in his first match since undergoing hip surgery after Wimbledon.
Nadal’s Davis Cup teammate David Ferrer powered past local hope Kei Nishikori 6-4, 6-3 to reach the last 16.
Third seed Ferrer lost his only previous meeting with Nishikori at the 2008 US Open, but slammed the door quickly on the Japanese No. 1 on a chilly evening by Tokyo Bay.
Fierce pressure from 2007 Japan Open champion Ferrer took its toll on Nishikori, who dumped a simple backhand into the net from mid-court to surrender the first set.
Ferrer, who has won titles in Auckland, New Zealand, and Acapulco, Mexico, this year, wrapped up a comfortable win in 1 hour, 29 minutes with a huge forehand too hot for his opponent to handle.
Argentina’s David Nalbandian looked back to his old street-fighting best in a 6-1, 6-1 win over Czech Lukas Rosol.
The former world No. 3, fresh from helping his country knock out holders Serbia to reach the Davis Cup final, needed just 49 minutes to finish the job.
Mercilessly punching winners past a deflated Rosol, Nalbandian could afford to let three match points slip before a backhand error gave him victory.
In other first-round ties, Latvia’s Ernests Gulbis beat Pole Lukasz Kubot 6-3, 3-6, 7-5, while American Alex Bogomolov got the better of Finland’s Jarkko Nieminen 6-4, 6-4.
Bogomolov will play second seed Andy Murray or Cypriot Marcos Baghdatis in the last 16.
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