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Rafa reaches milestone

China Daily | Updated: 2022-05-27 00:00
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Rafael Nadal reached 300 career Grand Slam match victories by beating Corentin Moutet 6-3, 6-1, 6-4 in the second round at Roland Garros.

The only real blip for 13-time French Open champion Nadal on Wednesday night on Court Philippe Chatrier came near the end, when he was broken by the 139th-ranked Frenchman while serving for the match at 5-3.

His French Open record now stands at a staggering 107 wins and just three losses since his 2005 title-winning debut.

"I think it was a good match against a very difficult player with lots of talent," said Nadal, whose buildup to the tournament was hampered by a foot injury.

"The last couple of months haven't been easy. The victories help a lot."

Only Roger Federer, with 369, and Novak Djokovic, who collected his 325th earlier Wednesday, are ahead of Nadal on the men's list for career wins at major tournaments.

Nadal has the most Grand Slam trophies for a man with 21. Federer and Djokovic both have 20.

The 21-time major winner faces Dutch 26th seed Botic van de Zandschulp for a place in the last 16 as Nadal continues his quest for a 14th title in Paris.

Alexander Zverev had to rally from two sets down and save a match point to reach the third round.

The German overcame Argentina's Sebastian Baez 2-6, 4-6, 6-1, 6-2, 7-5.

That's the good news for the No 3 seed.

The bad news is Baez was making his French Open debut, and Zverev's half of the draw includes Djokovic, Nadal and Carlos Alcaraz.

Zverev had trouble with the 21-year-old Baez's serve but got his return game in order in the third set.

Zverev saved a match point before holding for 5-5 in the decider and then broke Baez before serving out the match.

The last time Zverev put himself in a two-set hole at Roland Garros it didn't end as well. He battled back in the semifinals last June against Stefanos Tsitsipas but lost in five sets.

"I'm happy still being in the tournament right now," said Zverev, who was match point down on serve at 4-5 in the final set.

"I was planning my holiday in Monaco, where I was going to go and who I was going to go with and that relaxed me, thinking about the beach.

"You just have to find a way."

It was the third comeback from a two-set deficit in Zverev's career. He trailed fellow German Oscar Otte 2-0 in the opening round at Roland Garros a year ago before his run to the last four.

AFP

Spain's Rafael Nadal celebrates winning his French Open second-round match against France's Corentin Moutet in Paris on Wednesday. AFP

 

 

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