Rafael Nadal is two from two at his South American swing. The Spaniard started his journey from Buenos Aires and scored a 7-6, 6-2 triumph over his good friend Casper Ruud at Arena Parque Roca. Ruud grabbed a break in the opener’s fifth game and opened a 4-2 advantage.
Rafa pulled the break back in game eight and squandered a set point on the return in game ten. The Spaniard saved three set points in the tie break and clinched it 10-8 with a smash winner. Nadal broke Ruud in the second set’s games three and five for 4-1 and held at love in game eight for a 7-6, 6-2 victory.
Two days later, a 22-time Major winner performed in Chile against world no. 86 Alejandro Tabilo. Nadal and Tabilo met at San Carlos de Apoquindo stadium near the capital Santiago de Chile, and Rafa earned a 7-6, 6-3 triumph in just under two hours.
Rafael Nadal beat Alejandro Tabilo after saving set points in the opener.
Nadal fended off four set points at 5-6 in the opener and prevailed in the tie break 8-6 for a massive boost. Tabilo broke at the beginning of the second set, but his lead did not last long.
Nadal broke back in game four and delivered another return game to move 5-3 up. Rafa served out for the win in game nine to remain undefeated during his South American swing. Tabilo saved a break point in the encounter’s third game for 2-1.
World no. 2 played against two break points in the sixth game, erasing them and locking the result at 3-3. Alejandro opened a 5-4 gap with a service winner, and Rafa grabbed the next one at 15 for 5-5. The Chilean took the 11th game after deuce, and the Spaniard served to stay in the set for the second time.
He squandered game points and experienced four set points. Nadal erased them with service winners and aggressive hitting to introduce a tie break. Rafa forced the rival’s mistake at 5-5 for a set point. Alejandro saved it with an unreturned serve before spraying a forehand error to fall 7-6 behind.
Rafa claimed a point at the net to wrap up the opener in 74 minutes after a massive battle. The Spaniard played a loose volley at 1-1 in the second set to lose serve and fall behind. He pulled it back in the next one with a smash winner for 2-2.
Rafa saved two break points in game five to move in front and held at 30 with a service winner at 3-3. Tabilo netted a routine volley in game eight and faced a break point. He saved it but fell on the second after Nadal’s backhand down the line bullet that sent him 5-3 up. Rafa held at love with a service winner in game nine to seal the deal in straight sets.
