Top seed Rafael Nadal put to rest any doubts about his fitness as he eased to a comfortable 6-1, 6-1, 6-1 victory over Victor Estrella Burgos in the first round of the Australian Open in just 94 minutes.
Expected to comfortably progress, it was a dream start for the 2009 champion as he held to love and took advantage of the Dominican’s wayward forehand. At 15-40, Estrella Burgos saved the first break point with an ace, but another forehand sprayed long gifted Nadal the early break.
Facing little resistance on serve, the Spaniard went about securing another break and he got it when he broke to 30 for a 4-0 lead, the forehand again letting Estrella Burgos down. Two games later, Estrella Burgos finally got on the board with a hold to 15, but it only delayed the inevitable as the 16-time major champion closed out the opening set with a delicious drop shot winner.
The first game of the second set provided the point of the match, Estrella Burgos putting together a combination of drop shot-lob volley before closing out the point with a drop volley to go up 30-15. He was soon down break point and this time, the Dominican’s backhand went astray and Nadal was already in the lead.
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Again, it was the top seed on the attack, holding still with maximum comfort and he was up 15-40 on the Estrella Burgos serve. His forehand finally going on to save the first break point, that same wing again let him down on the second and Nadal was blazing to a quick 3-0 lead.
Continuing to look razor sharp, the Spaniard was applying (if possible) even more pressure with another chance to break, duly taken on his second opportunity when Estrella Burgos sailed a backhand long. The Dominican would have his moment, though, breaking Nadal on his sixth chance of the very next game, a wonderful forehand/drive volley combination earning rapturous applause from the crowd for his hard work.
Order was restored in the next game when Nadal set up break point at 30-40, his forehand already in mid-season form. The game and set were in the books when the Dominican slapped another forehand long, the Spaniard looking as good as can be with a two-set lead.
The third set was a mere formality and the top seed was on his way, another comfortable hold and a break to love, Estrella Burgos contributing four unforced errors as the wind was completely out of his sails now. It was full cruise control now, a double-fault by the Dominican to hand Nadal a 4-0 lead in a game he led 40-15.
Avoiding a bagel with a sumptuous volley from the service line (his only effective area of the court in the match), he forced Nadal to serve it out; the Spaniard duly answering with a love hold and an emphatic win. The two men exchanged a warm embrace at the net and the top seed can be pleased with his opening effort in Melbourne.
Nadal will next face Leonardo Mayer in the second round, the Argentine taking a set in their third round U.S. Open encounter. With a more steady and solid game than Estrella Burgos plus a better serve, Mayer will test Nadal a bit more, but it’s hard to see how he can win this match.
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