The Spanish Rafael Nadal, fourth favorite, needed just one hour and 16 minutes to defeat this Tuesday by 6-3, 6-2 against the American Denis Kudla, in his debut at the Mexican Tennis Open, in Acapulco.
Nadal had a quiet start to the tournament; he broke in the fourth game of the first set and in the third of the second, from which he kept at bay a rival who entered the main draw as a ‘lucky loser’ to replace his compatriot Rallue Opelka, and did not even have opportunities to break against.
The Spaniard won 23 percent of the points with the first serve and took advantage of the Kudla’s unforced errors to access the round of 16, a phase in which he will face the American Stefan Kozlov this Wednesday, who eliminated the Bulgarian Grigor Dimitrov, 7-6, 5-7, 6-3.
The ATP 550 of Acapulco has been won by Nadal in the 2005, 2013 and 2020; If he conquers it this year, he will reach his compatriot David Ferrer and the Austrian Thomas Muster as the top winners of titles, with four each.
Shortly before Manacorí’s triumph, the Russian Daniil Medvedev , first-seeded, defeated Frenchman Benoit Paire 6-3, 6-4 and Italian Matteo Berrettini left against American Tommy Paul.
Medvedev will face Spanish Pablo in the round of 16 Andújar, winner 6-0, 6-1 of Mexican Alejandro Hernández.
Berrettini won the first set 6-4 against American Tommy Paul, but felt discomfort and retired with the score against 1-5 in the second set.
In other results this Wednesday the Japanese Yoshihito Nishioka beat the Spanish Feliciano López, 2-6, 6-0, 6-4, and the American Marcos Girón, 7-6, 2-0 against the Australian John Millman, retired.
This Wednesday, in the part After closing the central court, the Greek Stefanos Tsitsipas will face the Serbian Laslo Djere.
The Mexican Open, tournament 500 of the ATP, takes place on a hard court, endowed with a prize pool of $1.8 million dollars.
Also read:
– Boris Becker: Rafael Nadal is the favorite to be crowned at Roland Garros
– He is also given golf: Rafael Nadal was runner-up in a tournament in Mallorca