By Ossian Shine
PARIS (Reuters) – Spain’s Rafa Nadal made a triumphant return to Roland Garros on Sunday to blast his way into the second round of the Olympic tennis tournament, and set up a blockbuster clash with nemesis Novak Djokovic of Serbia.
That the Nadal-Djokovic clash will not determine gold was the only slip in the Olympic script as the Spaniard found a second wind on a Roland Garros stage on which he has built his legend, to beat Hungarian Marton Fucsovics 6-1 4-6 6-4.
As Nadal fired a forehand winner on his third match point the crowd roared and stood as one to hail the Spaniard who has thrilled them for two decades.
For sure there have been better performances from Nadal on this showcourt, but few more warmly welcomed.
In the women’s draw, Chinese sixth seed Qinwen Zheng made a mockery of former French Open runner-up Sara Errani’s clay credentials, pummelling the Italian 6-0 6-0 to advance.
Greece’s Maria Sakkari also wasted no time dispatching Danka Kovinic, smashing the Montenegrin 6-0 6-1.
U.S. flagbearer Coco Gauff will light up the evening session on Sunday when she takes on Australian Ajla Tomljanovic, while reigning Olympic champion Alexander Zverev of Germany closes Day Two’s play against Spaniard Jaume Munar.
But the day belonged to Nadal as the 2008 Olympic champion kept alive dreams of a golden sunset to his glorious career.
NADAL’S BACKYARD
Such was the atmosphere in Nadal’s professional backyard, it seemed not beyond the realms of possibility that even members of Fucsovic’s household may have been rooting for the 38-year-old.
The years have not diminished Parisians’ love for the man who first stormed the French capital 19 years ago, before maintaining an unprecedented stranglehold on Court Phillippe Chatrier for the better part of two decades.
Fourteen of his 22 Grand Slam titles came at Roland Garros during that period as Nadal established himself as the undisputed king of clay.
The long hair and pirate pants are long gone but the slingshot forehand is as potent as ever and the Spaniard wielded it with terrifying efficiency to wrap up the first set before Fucsovics could really settle.
It was bad enough that the Hungarian was fighting a man who had won 112 of his previous 116 matches at Roland Garros, but he was also fighting a nostalgic centre court crowd and, seemingly, destiny.
Some brutal baseline bashing saw Fucsovics haul himself back into the contest as Nadal’s range faltered, but the Spaniard broke in the fifth game of the third and final set, before sprinting to the finish.
Earlier, ninth seed Barbora Krejcikova recovered from a slow start to grind her way past Spain’s Sara Sorribes Tormo 4-6 6-0 7-6(3).
“It feels great because I didn’t really play well here (before today),” said the Czech, who had not won a singles match at Roland Garros since 2021.
Men’s sixth seed Casper Ruud swept aside Japan’s Daniel Taro 7-5 6-1 while another Japanese, Kei Nishikori, was ousted by Britain’s up-and-coming Jack Draper 6-1 6-4.
“You’re playing for something more than just yourself here,” Norwegian Ruud said.
(Reporting by Ossian Shine; Editing by Ken Ferris)
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