Roland Garros 2021: 3 things that stood out in Rafael Nadal's record-breaking win over Cameron Norrie
Rafael Nadal defeated Cameron Norrie in straight sets on Saturday to advance to the fourth round at Roland Garros for the 16th time in his career.
The Spaniard was in control of the match from start to finish. Barring a small dip at the beginning of the second set, Nadal was rarely troubled by Norrie as he completed a 6-3, 6-3, 6-3 win.
On that note, here's a look at three key takeaways from Nadal's straight-sets win:
#1 Rafael Nadal can't stop racking up records at Roland Garros
Rafael Nadal's win over Cameron Norrie marked his 103rd win at the French Open, overtaking Roger Federer's total at Wimbledon and Australian Open as the most for a men's player at a single Grand Slam. Moreover, Nadal's win-loss record of 103-2 at Roland Garros is the best at any Slam in the history of the sport.
The Spaniard also marked his 33rd consecutive victory on the dirt in Paris. His last defeat came at the hands of Novak Djokovic, all the way back in 2015.
Nadal's win over Norrie also marked the 32nd consecutive set he has won at Roland Garros. The 35-year-old last dropped a set in the 2019 French Open final against Dominic Thiem; he triumphed in 2020 without a single hiccup.
#2 Cameron Norrie's strategy on return paid off in the second set
Cameron Norrie came into the match as the overwhelming underdog, despite his solid claycourt form in 2021. And although the 6-3, 6-3, 6-3 scoreline suggests he was thoroughly overmatched, the Brit's variety while returning did provide a test to Nadal.
Norrie jumped into the lead twice in the second set, at 2-0 and 3-1, by mixing up the pace and direction of his returns. The 25-year-old sometimes killed the pace of the ball, even moonballing at times, to eke out errors from the Spaniard. And at other times, he struck deep and powerful returns to keep Nadal on his toes.
Norrie ended up winning just 21 points on the return, but 11 of those came in the second set. He also converted two of his three break points during that time.
#3 Rafael Nadal is rounding into form at just the right time
As has been the case for much of the last 15 years, Rafael Nadal is the hot favorite for the Roland Garros title. Having lifted the trophies in Barcelona and Rome earlier, Nadal came into the tournament in better form than he did in the last two years.
The Spaniard has carried that momentum through the first week of the claycourt Major, seemingly getting better with each match. He is yet to drop a set in Paris.
Rafael Nadal faces a significant test in the form of Jannik Sinner in the fourth round. But judging from the way he played against Norrie, he is unlikely to lose more than a set against the talented Italian.
Nadal could take on Diego Schwartzman or Jan-Lennard Struff, in the quarterfinals following which he could set up the blockbuster semifinal against Novak Djokovic. However, it is looking increasingly unlikely for any of those players to stop the 35-year-old from lifting a record-extending 14th Roland Garros title.
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