What Time Is Rafael Nadal Playing Tonight? | Nadal Rallies Past Hijikata, Sets Fognini Showdown At US Open
Rafael Nadal took time to find his rhythm at the US Open on Tuesday evening, but the four-time champion made it to the second round.
The Spaniard defeated #NextGenATP Australian Rinki Hijikata 4-6, 6-2, 6-3, 6-3 at Flushing Meadows, where he is competing for the first time since winning the 2019 title. The second seed has won 19 of his last 20 matches at the season’s final Grand Slam, and has won all 20 of his matches in major championships this year.
“It’s been a long wait. For a while I thought I might not be able to come back, so I’m very happy. The night sessions are the best,” Nadal said. “I just have to be humble and accept the day to day process in practice and matches and stay positive.”
Nadal will next face a tough challenge against Italy’s Fabio Fognini, who won a two-set win against the 22-time Slam champion in New York in 2015. The Nadal pair lead the ATP Head2Head series 13-4.
‘Welcome To The Big House’: Hijikata Relishing Rafa Clash
© Sarah Stier/Getty ImagesRafael Nadal of Spain
Rinki Hijikata had just landed in New York on Thursday when messages started lighting up her phone.
“The first one was from my manager, Kelly [Wolf], and he said ‘Welcome to the Big House!’ something along the lines of,” Hijikata told ATPTour.com. “There was no real context, so I didn’t really know what she was talking about. I thought maybe she was saying ‘Welcome to New York.
“I got a few others like ‘I can’t believe your draw!’ So when I went and saw it. Quite exciting.”
He found his name on line 127 when the US Open draw was called, just above second seed and 22-time Grand Slam champion Rafael Nadal. There was no longer a lack of context.
How old is Rafael Nadal?
Rafael Nadal was born on 3 June 1986 in Manacor, Mallorca, Spain. The 36-year-old tennis player is in the designated Big 3 of the ATP, where he is alongside Roger Federer and Novak Djokovic. This nickname was given to him because of the titles and records he achieved throughout his tennis career during the same era in the sport.
How tall is Rafael Nadal?
Rafael Nadal has proved that his quickness and quickness have helped him on the tennis court. As a 6-foot-1 tennis player, Nadal is of average-height for the ATP. In fact, that’s tall for an average person.
Rafael Nadal’s US Open rival names Spaniard as one of his four ‘special’ tennis ‘idols’
Rafael Nadal’s US Open rival has shared his excitement ahead of his first-round clash after naming the world number three as his idol. Rinki Hijikata will make her Grand Slam main draw debut against the four-time champion at Flushing Meadows on Tuesday night, but is relishing the chance to face Nadal despite being thrown straight from the deep end.
Nadal is playing the US Open for the first time since winning it in 2019, and returns against world number 198 Hijikata in his first-round match at Arthur Ashe Stadium. While the match is the Spaniard’s first in New York for three years, it will also be the Australian team’s first Grand Slam main draw match, ahead of their ATP Tour debut earlier this year.
Hijikata had previously unsuccessfully contested qualifying events at the Australian Open and Wimbledon, but after receiving a US Open wildcard, he would eventually play a Grand Slam main draw match against the player with the most men’s singles titles at the Major level.
Find yourself drawn. history. Before the difficult task of facing Nadal in his first Major match, the 21-year-old has revealed that the second seed is actually one of his four idols.
“I think ‘Rusty’ was the person I loved seeing the most,” Hijikata said of his compatriot, former world No. 1 Litton Hewitt. “He’s an Australian and the way he competed on the court, I thought he was great. Then as I got a little older, I think Rafa and Roger when they had a big rivalry was going to be great. was special.”
‘What is happening?’: Nadal ‘disgusted’ as Aussie wildcard stuns tennis world
Australian wildcard Rinki Hijikata has pushed Rafael Nadal to breaking point in the first round of the US Open.
The 22-time Grand Slam champion stunned the New York crowd by dropping the first set, before fighting back and winning the match 4-6, 6-2, 6-3, 6-3.
It was only at the end of a 15-minute marathon – that put the crowd on their feet – that Nadal finally won the match with his fifth match point.
Hijikata was given a standing ovation as he left the court, and Nadal also stood up and applauded as his opponent left after a three-hour fight.
Nadal called Hijikata a “tough” opponent in his brief post-match interview.
The 21-year-old ambushed the Spanish superstar with some spectacular groundstrokes at AEST on Wednesday morning, taking the first set of his first-round match 6-4 in front of a packed Arthur Ashe Stadium in Flushing Meadows.
also read: US Open 2022: Defending champion Emma Raducanu loses in first round
