Rafael Nadal had no major problems to solve the match against the Australian debutant of 08 years old Rinky Hijikata, 198 of the ATP ranking, which despite his defeat left a very good impression. After 3 hours and 8 minutes the score was 4-6, 6-2, 6-3 and 6-3
Nadal conceded the first set to Hijikata so that he could touch the glory, and immediately afterwards He brought him back to reality in such a way that there was no doubt that he was the one who would take the reins of the match and lead to victory.
There was not room for a soul in the Arthur Ashe Stadium, the who knows about tennis perceived that he was watching perhaps the last chapters of a legend of this sport and that was worth not missing a second of the show.
Nadal de 36 years, with a record of 22 Grand Slams – including four at the New York Open – as usual he donned his goldsmith suit to mold his work and he did it brilliantly, Hijikata was no longer the experienced protagonist of the first set, although he tried and has resources and youth to spare, they were not enough to face the overwhelming display of a Nadal thirsty for glory, as if the one he already has was not enough.
Tonight Nadal wore a chocolate-colored outfit with bright pink on the shirt, the wristbands and the headband and to contrast, shoes of an intense red… but all that aesthetic has nothing to do with what is disputed in every millimeter of the field. There Nadal goes up and down in revolutions basting each point with the solvency of a master.
Flawless game
Nadal did not show a weak flank and not because the young Australian did not demand it, but because the Spaniard tonight looked like a twentysomething, defensively impeccable and offensively forceful.
In the fourth set Hijikata entered ready to fight…Nadal, on the other hand, seemed to begin to dose his energies. With two sets ahead, he knew that he could resolve the dispute in this instance, he only had to force break the Australian’s serve and ratify his own.
As I said, Nadal was on the hunt for a break until that he achieved it in the fifth game, then he would add another in the eighth and by then the sentence of the Australian who fought even with his teeth was known, which was recognized with applause by the public.
The Spaniard did not forgive closing the fourth set with a clear 6-3 after the game went on for more than 13 minutes and that the Australian managed to save 5 match points.