Rafael Nadal bulldozes past Guido Pella to send out French Open 2018 warning
Rafael Nadal's bid for an 11th French Open title is gathering pace.
The world No. 1 admitted he took things a little too easy in dispatching lucky loser Simone Bolelli in straight sets over two days in the first round.
But the Spaniard definitely moved up a gear as he steamrollered Argentina's Guido Pella 6-2, 6-1, 6-1 in under two hours.
Pella, ranked 78 in the world, put up a decent fight, especially in the first set with some classy winners.
But facing deuce after deuce on his own serve, with Nadal pounding away from the back of the court, he understandably wilted.
Nadal will face France's 29th seed Richard Gasquet in the third round on Saturday. Nadal has won all 15 of their previous meetings.
Marin Cilic, the third seed from Croatia, did not have things all his own way against Hubert Hurkacz of Poland.
Cilic led by two sets to love but dropped the third on a tie-break before going on to win 6-2, 6-2, 6-7, 7-5.
Sixth seed Kevin Anderson of South Africa also needed four sets to get past the tricky Uruguayan Pablo Cuevas 6-3, 3-6, 7-6, 6-4.
Dominic Thiem, the seventh seed from Austria, resumed at two sets to one up against Greece's Stefanos Tsitsipas and eventually won 6-2, 2-6, 6-4, 6-4.
That was scary
It might seem strange to say but Pella really didn't play badly there. Especially in the first set, he was playing at pretty much maximum capacity. But Nadal was just something else today. He hit 37 winners and made just 26 unforced errors in what by the end felt like a tennis lesson.
If he keeps playing this well, the rest of the field may as well go home.
Next up it's the No. 29 seed Richard Gasquet in the third round on Saturday.
Game, set and match! Nadal defeats Pella 6-2, 6-1, 6-1
Nadal is angry at himself for missing a backhand to go down 30-15, but he's quickly up to match point at 30-40 when Pella makes a couple of errors. Nadal misses it with a forehand that flies long, but a fizzed forehand winner earns him a second soon after. Pella double faults, and that is that - Nadal is through to the third round after an absolutely sublime display.
Pity poor Richard Gasquet. He will be Nadal's next victim opponent in the third round on Saturday.
Nadal 6-2, 6-1, 5-1 Pella* (*next server)
No let-up from Nadal. He crunches his way to a hold to 15. Pella will serve to stay in the match.
Nadal* 6-2, 6-1, 4-1 Pella (*next server) - Nadal breaks
Pella manfully fends off four non-consecutive break points - the second with a lovely drop volley, the fourth with an ace - but Nadal grabs the fifth with a ridiculous backhand winner up the line.
Nadal's timing is something else. I've just got some very strange looks in the office after saying 'oh my god' at the end of that game.
Nadal 6-2, 6-1, 3-1 Pella* (*next server)
This is turning into a clinic from Nadal. He flicks away a forehand winner to secure a love hold having earlier in the game completely flummoxed his opponent with a feathered drop shot from the baseline.
Nadal* 6-2, 6-1, 2-1 Pella (*next server) - Nadal breaks
Pella looks like a broken man. Nadal is just thumping the ball, and his final winner doesn't even land that far from Pella but the sheer weight of shot is overwhelming. Nadal breaks to 30, and this could be done pretty soon.
Nadal 6-2, 6-1, 1-1 Pella* (*next server)
Nadal makes a very uncharacteristic mess of a smash and then double faults to give Pella a sniff at 30-30. But Pella then misses a forehand, and Rafa nails one. It's a hold to 30 for Nadal.
Nadal* 6-2, 6-1, 0-1 Pella (*next server)
Blessed relief for Pella at the start of the set as he holds to love to (for now at least) halt Nadal's momentum.
Nadal 6-2, 6-1 Pella* (*next server) - Second set Nadal
A sensational Nadal crosscourt backhand winner, an ace, and a netted Pella backhand take the Spaniard to 40-0 and three set points. An unreturned first serve wraps up the hold and the second set.
After 87 minutes, Nadal is well on his way to a third-round match against Richard Gasquet.
Meanwhile based on my saying how cruel the tennis scoring system is, @emma_dem1 has tweeted me this fascinating article.
Nadal* 6-2, 5-1 Pella (*next server)
Well done Guido Pella. He stops the run of nine straight games against him with a hold to 30. Big cheers from the crowd.
The comeback starts here! Or maybe not.
Nadal 6-2, 5-0 Pella* (*next server)
This is scary. Nadal thwacks away an inside-in forehand winner to reel off a love hold in the blink of an eye.
Pella has won just six points this set.
Nadal* 6-2, 4-0 Pella (*next server) - Nadal breaks
Nadal is absolutely on fire now. He's broken to love, and hit two absolutely scorching forehand winners on the final couple of points to do so. Unbelievable level - who is going to get near him if he keeps playing like this?
Nadal 6-2, 3-0 Pella* (*next server)
It feels as though Nadal is taunting Pella by getting him interested in each game and then slamming the door in his face. Here, Pella takes the first point before Rafa races to 40-15 and holds to 30 with a drop volley that's agonisingly out of his opponent's reach.
Seven games in a row for Nadal.
Nadal* 6-2, 2-0 Pella (*next server) - Nadal breaks
As feared Pella is struggling at the start of the set. He battles manfully once more to save a couple of break points, but Nadal takes the third with a net cord that completely dies on Pella's side of the court.
That is so, so cruel.
Nadal 6-2, 1-0 Pella* (*next server)
Pella doesn't get a sniff this game, as Nadal powers his way to a hold to 15. You do fear for Pella given the scoreline and how well he's played. How much does he have left?
Nadal* 6-2 Pella (*next server) - First set Nadal
Pella again puts together some excellent points, but again he's forced to go for a bit too much by Nadal's relentlessness depth and consistency. A Pella forehand flies long to give Nadal a set point at 30-40. The Argentine saves it with an ace before saving another moments later when Nadal sends a backhand return just wide. Pella then sees three game points come and go, but keeps himself in the game with a gorgeous stop volley when down set point for a third time. Nadal then wastes a fourth set point with a poor backhand return that sails long. But on the fifth he finally gets the job done as Pella nets a backhand. Nadal a set to the good after 56 minutes.
Pella had game points in five of the eight games and 15-30s in two of the others, but finds himself on the end of what looks like a first-set thrashing. The tennis scoring system is cruel.
Nadal 5-2 Pella* (*next server)
Pella's playing really well here but again Nadal rescues a game that looked to be heading his opponent's way. Down 15-30, Nadal reels off three straight points - one a forehand winner, two Pella being forced to go for too much and making errors.
Nadal* 4-2 Pella (*next server) - Nadal breaks
Beautiful sliding across the clay allows Nadal to get into position to thwack away a drive volley for 15-30. Pella then pushes a backhand long to present Rafa with two break points at 15-40.
Nadal can't take either of them, but he forces a third having twice been down game point and takes this one when Pella nets a forehand. On one of those game points Pella thought he had won the game when Nadal hit a forehand that looked to be going long but just dipped at the last moment and kissed the outside edge of the baseline.
Small margins.
Nadal 3-2 Pella* (*next server)
Pella is really ripping into his groundstrokes, but Nadal is at his defiant best. The world No. 1 battles back from 15-30 to complete a hold to 30, helped by a quite brilliant backhand winner up the line. How much has Nadal improved that shot over the last couple of years?
Nadal* 2-2 Pella (*next server)
Nadal hits an absolute beaut of a backhand drop shot midway through the game, but Pella serves accurately to claim a comfy hold to 15.
Nadal 2-1 Pella* (*next server)
Nadal is absolutely blitzing the ball this game. An inside-out forehand winner and a backhand thunderbolt up the line are the highlights. He holds to love.
Nadal* 1-1 Pella (*next server)
Gorgeous point from the leftie Pella to move to 40-15, outfoxing Nadal with a lovely drop shot-lob combo. He completes the hold with an inside-in forehand winner.
Nadal 1-0 Pella* (*next server) - Nadal saves four set points and holds
So nearly a dream start for Pella, but after racing to a 0-40 lead and holding four break points in total, Nadal digs in and manages to somehow cling onto his serve. The Spaniard seals the hold with a bruising inside-in forehand winner.
Pella didn't do a lot wrong on the break points but will regret going just long with a makeable forehand up the line on the last one.
Ready? Play
Nadal will serve first. We're under way.
The winner of this will play the No. 29 seed Richard Gasquet in the third round on Saturday.
Knocking up
Nadal bounds onto the court to rich applause, and he and Pella are knocking up out on Lenglen.
Preamble
Afternoon all, welcome to our latest live blog from the 2018 French Open.
Due on Court Phillippe-Chatrier any moment are the world No.1 and reigning champion Rafael Nadal and the 28-year-old Argentinian and world No. 78 Guido Pella.
Nadal, who is bidding to lift his 11th French Open title and equal Margaret Court's all-time record for most singles titles at the same grand slam, is expecting a 'difficult' match against Pella.
“It's going to be a difficult match,” Nadal said. “I have to be prepared to play very strongly, very aggressively, and I hope that I will be able to move on the next day knowing that it's going to be a tough match.
Nadal opened up his Roland Garros campaign with a straight-sets but far from straightforward win over Simone Bolelli in a rain-delayed match in Paris.
Rebooted Rafael Nadal remains master of clay
"The court is more slippery than usual and I slid a lot when I started off or when I moved to another side, and it was quite complicated," he said.
"You can see that there are many more whiter zones than other years, because there are little pebbles underneath, and that's why you don't have the proper grip on the court."
“It was a good match. It was a difficult match, because he played so aggressive and very well, I think,” Nadal added.
“I resisted, you know, always difficult to play against players that wants to hit every ball so hard, and even more if it's the first round.
“He played well, I think, so well, playing with lot of risk but having success with all of the risk that he take. "But it was difficult today to play so aggressive being in the first round and against a player who really came on court and decided to play that strong.”
Pella can be a tricky customer, but it's tough to see anything but a straight-sets win for Nadal.
