Australian Open 2023 day one: Rafael Nadal v Jack Draper – live - The Guardian

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Nadal 7-5, 0-2 Draper* (* denotes server) We person airy rainfall astatine Melbourne Park and the players person sauntered nether screen to hold it out. Bad timing for Draper who has fought backmost from that archetypal acceptable implosion to physique a 2 crippled lead. This ablution doesn’t look superior though. Any rainfall driblet hitting the scorch of this tribunal can’t past long. Court officials are conferring and it looks similar we’re back.

Nadal 7-5, 0-2 Draper* (* denotes server) Early interruption to Draper and it’s crippled on! Nadal abruptly looks nervy (it happens erstwhile you’ve earned implicit $130m successful vocation prize-money, I hear). At 20, Draper is simply a millionaire lone erstwhile implicit though and helium wins this 2nd crippled to emotion without immoderate accent to widen his lead.

Nadal* 7-5, 0-1 Draper (* denotes server) It was crippled for game, constituent for point. Until Nadal dug heavy into his container of tricks and broke the Englishman successful that 12th crippled of the set. On those last fewer points Nadal chased the shot similar a canine does a nutrient wagon. And those aged legs served him good arsenic they person done implicit 92 rubric wins. Jack Draper has rebounded impressively successful this archetypal crippled of the 2nd acceptable though. He’s taken the archetypal crippled to deuce connected Nadal’s service with immoderate enterprising changeable play (and nary driblet shots!). Nadal wins vantage but Draper’s slicing cuts his hostile to the speedy and erstwhile Rafa hits the strings skew-whiff connected the adjacent Draper gets his revenge, winning the past constituent and breaking.

Nadal wins archetypal acceptable 7-5

Nadal 7-5 Draper* (* denotes server) Draper had his archetypal accidental to interruption Nadal determination but botched it with the exuberance of youth. He treble down connected the dumb aft sending Nadal spiralling disconnected tribunal with a large serve. Why did helium spell to the driblet changeable again erstwhile a ruthless swipe sufficed? Nadal saw it and swooped to instrumentality it to 15-30. Heat rising for Draper but it cools erstwhile the Spaniard goes conscionable wide connected the next. Nadal doesn’t marque the aforesaid mistake doubly though. He stabs it past Draper, taking it to 30-40 and bringing up acceptable point. Trouble brewing… and it blows up for the Briton arsenic Nadal sends him backmost and forth, near and close earlier pulling the trigger connected a forehand that’s excessively accelerated and excessively acold for Draper. That’s game, break, acceptable Nadal!

Nadal* 6-5 Draper (* denotes server) Nadal didn’t get a look-in connected that past Draper work crippled but helium coolly takes the opening points of this eleventh game, smashing the 2nd into the bleachers connected the bounce. There was murderous intent successful that shot. Just arsenic good Jack had turned his backmost and moved onto the adjacent point. 40-0 to Nadal with nary motion of exhaustion oregon frayed nerves. But past Nadal gives 1 backmost with a wide shot and Draper seizes connected the mistake, staying successful a rally and past chancing his manus with a backhand down the line. Shot! It unnerves Nadal into netting the adjacent constituent and falling backmost to deuce. Draper is anxious to capitalise. Too anxious. He uncoils a victor that alternatively thuds into the net. Draper’s adjacent instrumentality skims the seagulls. Window closed.

Nadal 5-5 Draper* (* denotes server) Jack Draper is sweating now. The somesthesia connected tribunal is cresting 30 degrees and he’s got Rafael Nadal breathing down his neck. The shot kids respond, towelling disconnected the exertions from a centre tribunal spotted successful perspiration. Neale Fraser, Australia’s erstwhile Davis Cup captain, a noted large server successful his playing days is cheering for an upset by the looks. Draper responds to the support, taking the crippled without dropping a point.

Nadal* 5-4 Draper (* denotes server) Vintage Nadal! That was a good instrumentality by Draper. The shot changeable backmost astatine the Spaniard’s feet but helium skipped retired of the way, squared his hips and barrelled it into the country with superb precision. There’s a Draper situation to the adjacent Nadal constituent but it arrives to precocious for the umpire to admit and enactment on. Rafa races to 40-0 but Draper fights hard connected the last point, some men carving large angled shots from the baseline. It’s Draper who blinks archetypal though, sending the 11th changeable long. Another crippled to emotion for Nadal and the screws astir to crook connected the British anticipation arsenic helium fights to enactment successful the set.

Nadal 4-4 Draper* (* denotes server) Everything going to service but not according to plan. Nadal is complaining his racquet has gone MIA! Some over-zealous authoritative oregon the cheekiest instrumentality of the tourney truthful far? Nadal apologises to Draper for the bizarre hold and it’s each smiles but the momentum is broken. Will it show? It hasn’t affected Draper. He blasts a caller shot past Nadal connected the archetypal but undoes the bully enactment by lobbing the 2nd long. Another ace keeps him ascendent though. Those agelong levers are container office. It’s the gamesmanship letting him down, arsenic shown connected the adjacent constituent wherever helium feathers a driblet changeable Nadal reaches connected the run. He gets it backmost but Nadal is waiting. Bang! Suddenly he’s a interruption constituent down and occupation looms. But helium saves it with different immense service that kicks excessively overmuch for Nadal to control, gets it to deuce. Then takes the advantage, and yet the game, erstwhile Nadal mishits doubly successful succession. Now that’s a operation you don’t perceive often…

Nadal* 4-3 Draper (* denotes server) Lovely interaction by the apical seed! Nadal sent a brushed driblet changeable implicit the nett and Draper rushed successful and scooped it up nicely lone to nonstop it to the astir lethal forehand successful the game. Wrong enactment Jack, and it gets the punishment it deserved. Nadal gets to 40-0 but treble faults. Any glimmer of a interruption vanishes accelerated though erstwhile Draper overhits an unfastened court. Bad miss.

Nadal 3-3* Draper (* denotes server) Nadal hasn’t shown immoderate motion of nerves yet but there’s an uncharacteristic framer to commencement this game. He’ll settee into this crippled arsenic usual. Draper looks settled already. The large left-hander cannons Nadal’s instrumentality down the enactment to instrumentality it to 40-0. Nadal returns the dose from a tighter space connected the adjacent but a large Draper service connected the past constituent gets america quadrate again.

Nadal* 3-2 Draper (* denotes server) Nadal nets his archetypal serve, lets the 2nd but lands the third. It starts a fabulous rally, Nadal spearing balls to the corners but Draper utilizing each inch of his large framework to excavation them retired and instrumentality with interest. After 4 transverse tribunal daggers it’s excessively overmuch for the young antheral and Nadal takes the opening point. Draper wins the 2nd though. He’s trying to instrumentality the Spaniards service early, an attacking ploy that isn’t foolproof truthful acold but whitethorn wage dividends aboriginal successful the game. Nothing overmuch helium tin bash erstwhile Nadal is jagging transverse tribunal bullets and serving aces connected the past to borderline up again.

Nadal 2-2 Draper* (* denotes server) So acold truthful bully for the Spaniard. Despite losing six of his past 7 matches, the apical effect looks crisp and confident. It’s capable to unleash his archetypal fist pump of the time arsenic helium coaxes Draper to the nett successful this archetypal constituent of the crippled and uncoils and viciously top-spinning instrumentality down the enactment to gain a interruption point. Draper doesn’t panic though. He leans into his large weapon, the serve, and helium wins the adjacent 3 points and closes it retired with an ace. Great boost for Draper. helium knows there’s a large sniff of an upset if helium plays to his imaginable and Nadal’s caller rocky signifier rears its disfigured caput afresh.

Nadal* 2-1 Draper (* denotes server) Nadal has been highly captious of the balls being utilized successful this tourney and they bash look to beryllium bouncing large connected the players, requiring each to instrumentality them connected the emergence and rotation precocious shoulders astatine them. Both opening points present spell to rallies successful this 3rd crippled but Nadal’s tribunal positioning is better. He wins some opening rallies and past draws Draper into the nett for the 3rd point. Positive determination from the Englishman but it’s a trap. Rafa rips it transverse tribunal to instrumentality the constituent successful benignant and, soon after, claims the game.

Nadal 1-1 Draper* (* denotes server) Strong commencement from the champ. How volition the youngster respond? The service is his limb and his archetypal rips down the line, excessively accelerated for Nadal. The 2nd is an ace, belted down from Draper’s six-foot-four frame, but helium lobs agelong successful a abbreviated rally for the 3rd point. The Briton takes the 4th excessively aft a 14-shot rally and wins the crippled with a brave thunderbolt up the guts. Too accelerated for Nadal. We’re each square.

Nadal* 1-0 Draper (* denotes server) Players commence battle. Rafa successful acquainted achromatic bandanna and yolk-orange shirt. Draper successful achromatic T, sky-blue sneakers and a shot headdress reversed, a wide homage to hometown leader Lleyton Hewitt. Rafa’s archetypal service goes down the mediate and Draper’s reply balloons disconnected the frame. The 2nd goes wide and Draper nets it. There’s a 12 changeable rally for the 3rd point, the shot bouncing precocious but Rafa takes the constituent and past the crippled to love.

Thanks Mike, Angus here. An aboriginal twist then. Draper won the flip but, contempt boasting 1 of the champion serves successful the game, has elected to receive. A interaction of nerves from the British satellite No 40? Or immoderate chutzpah to throwing down the cudgel down to the defending champion? We’re astir to find out… play astir to begin.

Nadal’s grooming apical and shoes lucifer the colour of the bluish court, but erstwhile helium peels his apical off, he’s successful a agleam orangish playing shirt. Draper is successful Wimbledon-appropriate each white, with conscionable a splash of colour successful his sweatband and cap. Here’s the toss: Draper wins and elects to person first.

Nadal peels disconnected his grooming top. Photograph: Loren Elliott/Reuters

Righto, with that, I’ll permission you successful the susceptible hands of my workfellow Angus Fontaine who volition instrumentality you done the match. Cheerio for now.

Good afternoon, tennis fans. Welcome to our circular 1 clash betwixt Rafael Nadal and Jack Draper. Players are connected tribunal and there’s voluminous enactment each circular from a packed centre tribunal astatine Rod Laver Arena. Despite the furnace-like vigor the combatants volition person a speedy lukewarm up and past we’ll get to the action.

The players are spotted successful the bowels of Rod Laver Arena. Nadal, arsenic always, is doing his champion impersonation of a Duracell bunny, a bundle of energy, successful changeless question arsenic helium gears up for his archetypal trial of this Australian Open. Draper looks focused. After the agelong locomotion past the names of erstwhile champions etched onto the walls of the tunnel, retired they travel into the stadium, to rapturous applause. Draper first, and past Nadal.

Some utile factoids astir Rafael Nadal, courtesy of AAP:

• Age: 36

• Ranking: 2

• Plays: left-handed (two-handed backhand)

• Career prize money: $US134,529,921

• Career titles: 92

• Grand slam titles: 22 (Australian Open 2009, 2022; French Open 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020, 2022; Wimbledon 2008, 2010; US Open 2010, 2013, 2017, 2019)

• Australian Open win-loss record: 76-15

• Best Australian Open results: champion 2009, 2022; runner-up 2012, 2014, 2017, 2019

• Men’s tennis’ astir prolific expansive slam rubric victor is defending his crown successful Melbourne for the archetypal clip successful 13 years aft cashing successful connected Novak Djokovic’s lack 12 months ago. Elevated to apical effect pursuing the withdrawal of injured satellite No 1 Carlos Alcaraz.

While we wait, Emma Raducanu has besides made it safely done to the 2nd round. Here’s what our antheral connected the crushed Tumaini Carayol thought:

“After moving timidly successful the aboriginal exchanges, Raducanu progressively improved passim her clip connected tribunal and she finished her Australian Open archetypal circular lucifer connected apical of the baseline, wholly outmatching Tamara Korpatsch of Germany arsenic she comfortably moved into the 2nd circular with a 6-3, 6-2 win.”

Tumaini’s afloat study of that 1 is incoming, bent tight.

Maria Sakkari, the Greek No 6 seed, has so wrapped up a straight-sets triumph implicit Yuan Yue of China, 6-1, 6,4, truthful the 2009 and 2022 men’s champion Rafael Nadal volition beryllium up soon capable connected Rod Laver. The in-form Jack Draper is his opponent. Tumaini Carayol had this to accidental astir the clash:

The US duo Jessica Pegula and Coco Gauff are besides done to the 2nd round. Pegula, the satellite No 3, was the archetypal subordinate to station triumph earlier this greeting astatine Melbourne Park – a regular 6-0, 6-1 triumph implicit Romania’s Jaqueline Cristian – portion seventh seeded Gauff needed 7 lucifer points successful the last crippled of her opener to spot disconnected Czech Katerina Siniakova 6-1, 6-4.

A mates of large results to bring you up to velocity with, then. First, a large 1 with a section flavour – rising prima Olivia Gadecki, who is being mentored by nary different than Ash Barty astatine this Open, won her archetypal main gully expansive slam lucifer 7-5, 6-1 against teenage qualifier Polina Kudermetova. The 20-year-old was mislaid for words earlier, aft becoming the archetypal Australian into the 2nd circular of this year’s tournament.

“I really can’t judge it. Wow, I’m speechless,” Gadecki said. “It’s specified an astonishing crowd, my location slam, my first-ever main-draw expansive slam win. I mean, a miss tin lone dream.”

Emma Kemp’s study is connected its way, enactment tuned for much details.

Weather update: According to our pistillate connected the ground, Emma Kemp, it’s “hot af” successful Melbourne today. Emma, this is for the liveblog, person you immoderate much printable details? “The mercury says 25C but with with humidity feels person to 30, which means connected tribunal it volition consciousness a fewer degrees hotter than that,” she elaborates. “It’s meant to deed 29 successful an hr oregon so.” Right you are, blistery af.

Preamble

Hello and invited to our sum of the 2023 Australian Open. The tennis connected time 1 is already nether mode astatine a steaming Melbourne Park, with the men’s No 1 and defending champion Rafael Nadal owed connected tribunal soon for his imaginable banana-skin opener against the rising prima of British tennis, Jack Draper.

The preceding women’s lucifer betwixt Yuan Yue and Maria Sakkari is successful the 2nd set, with sixth seeded Sakari presently starring 4-3, truthful there’s a accidental Nadal and Draper volition get their brushwood up and moving beauteous overmuch connected clip – they are officially up “not earlier 2:30pm” connected Rod Laver Arena. It’s presently 2:06pm section time.

I’ll springiness an update connected already-banked results connected the opening time of enactment successful a tick, but for now, retrieve you tin get successful interaction on this email address with thoughts connected this match, the tourney successful wide oregon immoderate different (tennis-related) business.