It would be difficult to disagree with Rafael Rafael Nadal’s own verdict that his 6-4, 6-2, 6-4 demolition job on Brazil’s Thomaz Bellucci on No.1 Court was “a very positive victory”.
Though it is early days at The Championships, the simple fact of feeling the grass under his feet again at his favourite tournament clearly put a spring in his step and a purpose in his stride.
Nadal is in need, albeit not urgent need, of good news to lift a season which has so far been noticeably less triumphant than most in his career. It may take a while yet to erase completely the disappointment of quarter-final departure from Roland Garros earlier this month but this was, as he said, a positive step on the road to restoration of confidence and his habitual winning mentality.
I am a little bit more confident than I was a few months ago
Bellucci, a fellow left-hander who, at 27, is two years younger than Nadal, had never so much as collected a set from the Spaniard in their four previous meetings and, once he had erased the Brazilian’s early first-set lead with a retaliatory blitz which brought him four games in succession, Rafa was up and running, to the delight of his supporters in the crowd, which meant virtually everybody.
Though the scorching, viciously top-spun forehand which has churned out so many wins and seen off so many opponents was functioning some way below its most effective, there remained enough power to fend off Bellucci’s attempts to get back into the match after conceding the first set in 44 minutes.
Perhaps it was was the Nadal serve which was more of a disappointment on the day. He was broken twice, landed only one ace and perpetrated five double-faults. For example, holding two set points in the second set, Nadal double-faulted – but on the next one Bellucci obliged with an extravagant mis-hit which ballooned the ball yards out of play.
The Brazilian threatened a recovery by leading 2-0 in the third set, only to be frustrated by a four-game surge which had Nadal executing a skip of delight. “So easy,” cried a fan from the stands, and so it proved in the end. But it was a success which clearly meant much to him as he raised his arms in celebration before hurling both wristbands into the audience and then, on his way off court, posing for a selfie with a spectator.
“I am a little bit more confident than I was a few months ago,” Nadal said. “For the first three-and-a-half months of the season I was playing bad. I lost more matches than usual that I should have won. But the last two months I have been more consistent, more solid in general, and that’s something I am pleased with.”
He was frank about his slump in the rankings. “I am seeded No.10 here because I deserve to be. That’s what happens with one-year rankings when you are injured for six months and come back and are not able to play great. When that happens, No.10 is a great number. But I am going to work hard to be higher.”
