WHAT HAPPENED: Sleeveless—and ruthless—in New York City.
Three-time champion Rafael Nadal hastily opened accounts at the 2019 US Open with a 6-3, 6-2, 6-2 victory over Aussie John Millman on Tuesday night in Arthur Ashe Stadium. The Spaniard improved to 15-0 in first-round matches in New York and 42-6 on the season with the triumph.
The win marked a joyous moment for a man that felt only bitter disappointment the last time he exited Arthur Ashe Stadium—after retiring two sets down to Juan Martin del Potro in last year’s US Open semifinals.
"It's not about losing," Nadal said in the aftermath of that difficult moment last year. "It's about not having the chance to fight for it."
Looking more than ready to fight with guns blazing against Millman on Day 2, Nadal gradually picked up steam as the match progressed. Millman, who sent shockwaves through the grounds last year when he knocked off five-time US Open champion Roger Federer in four sets in the round of 16, could not muster the same magic against the menace of Nadal.
Nadal broke the match open by reeling off eight consecutive games from 2-2 in the second set. After he converted on his sixth break point in the opening game of the third set, the match was all but decided. Nadal finished by winning ten of the final 12 games.
WHAT IT MEANS: The uncomplicated victory helps the Spaniard inch closer to his ultimate goal in New York City—a 19th Grand Slam title. For Nadal to accomplish that task he’ll have to be efficient in the early rounds, unlike last year when he was forced to play 13 grueling sets in the three matches prior to his ultimate undoing against del Potro.
Nadal's first step was exactly what he needed but he’ll need to stay on point as he makes his way through the bottom half of the draw.
So far, so good. The luck of the draw already appears to be on Nadal’s side. The 33-year-old’s path to the final does not include Novak Djokovic or Federer and three top seeds—Dominic Thiem, Karen Khachanov and Stefanos Tsitsipas—are already out of his half.
"That's tennis," Nadal said. "when you start the tournament, you have difficult opponents in front. You need to go on court and respect every single opponent."
Potential pitfalls lie in wait, even with some top seeds missing. Nadal could face Fernando Verdasco in the third round and a potential duel with 2014 US Open champion Marin Cilic or John Isner could materialize in the round of 16.
Nadal's next opponent will be another Australian, Thanasi Kokkinakis.
"He has a big forehand, big serve" Nadal said of the 23-year-old wild card. "He's a dangerous opponent, of course. I need to go on court and play well."
MATCH POINT: From a statistical perspective it wasn't the cleanest performance from Nadal, but he did improve gradually as the match wore on. Nadal hit 10 winners against 21 unforced errors in the first two sets, but struck 11 winners against 10 unforced errors in the final set.
