Rafael Nadal wins his first match in four months at Melbourne Summer Set 2022
Rafael Nadal started his 2022 season on a strong note as he defeated Ricardas Berankis in the second round of the 2022 Melbourne Summer Set. This was the Spaniard's first match of the tournament and his first official match since ending his 2021 season in August due to a foot injury.
Rafael Nadal vs Ricardas Berankis Score
Rafael Nadal defeated Ricardas Berankis 6-2, 7-5.
Rafa returns 💪
@RafaelNadal opens his 2022 campaign with a victory, 6-2 7-5 over Ricardas Berankis at #MelbourneTennis https://t.co/GJx6rNlGd6
Rafael Nadal vs Ricardas Berankis winner
With his win over Berankis, Nadal moved into the quarterfinals, where he will face either home favorite Alexei Popyrin or Tallon Griekspoor. He'll be aiming to win his first hardcourt title in nearly two years, since winning the Mexican Open in February 2020.
#AusOpenRafa. Is. BACK 🙌
@RafaelNadal • #MelbourneTennis 🔜 #AusOpen https://t.co/i1bncXi3pp
Rafael Nadal vs Ricardas Berankis recap
Nadal started the match quite well with an easy hold of serve, before securing an early break to lead 4-1. With Berankis serving to stay in the set at 5-2, the Spaniard once again broke his serve to win the opening set 6-2.
Nadal continued his momentum in the second set as well, getting an early break to lead 2-0. Just when it appeared that the former World No. 1 would run away with the match, he was broken while leading 40-15 on serve in the third game of the set.
Nevertheless, he managed to secure another break and served for the match at 5-3. But Berankis capitalized on the errors that crept into the Spaniard's game and broke back immediately. Berankis managed to level proceedings at 5-5 after holding serve in a lengthy game.
With the score tied at 5-5, the next game was crucial. Nadal managed to hold serve and then had three match points on Berankis' serve in the next game. This time there was no hesitation or mistake, as the Spaniard closed out the match.
There were quite a few positives for Nadal in the match. He served well and seemed to be moving swiftly on court, a sign that he has recovered well from his injury. His forehand packed a punch, but it misfired at times as well.
Nadal will be pleased with the level he displayed on his singles comeback and will look to make further improvements to his game in the coming rounds. Nadal's quarterfinal match should be exciting and provide him with a much sterner test, allowing him to gauge his level prior to the Australian Open.