Rafael Nadal’s 16-match winning streak ended when the 19-year-old Spaniard was beaten on Tuesday night in the first round of the Cincinnati Masters by a less-celebrated teenager.
Tomas Berdych wore down the second-seeded Nadal in a two-hour, 57-minute match, pulling off the tournament’s first notable upset with a 6-7 (4), 6-2, 7-6 (3) victory.
Nadal was coming off his first hard-court title — the French Open champion beat Andre Agassi in Montreal on Sunday for his tour-leading ninth ATP win of the year. His spinning ground strokes weren’t enough against a 19-year-old Czech who also likes to hit from the base line.
Both teenagers showed the strain of a gruelling match on a humid night. Nadal had his left leg rubbed after the second set, and Berdych took a medical timeout to get his left thigh rubbed during the third.
Berdych survived five break points in one game of the third set to keep it tied, and overcame three match points to send it to the tiebreaker. Nadal never led during the tiebreaker, double-faulting twice.
Earlier on Tuesday, Lleyton Hewitt shook off the lasting effects of a severe stomach virus, gradually regaining his touch in his first match in the tournament. Russia’s Marat Safin had a much tougher time with his still-aching knee.
The third-seeded Hewitt beat Igor Andreev 6-3, 6-4 on a muggy afternoon that tested his stamina. A week earlier, the Australian had to quit a first-round match in Montreal because of the stomach ailment — the first time he’s ever given up.
”I didn’t eat for about four or five days,” Hewitt said. ”So it hit me pretty bad. I felt a little bit awkward the last few days just training, getting back into the routine of things again. I’m definitely a lot better than a week ago.”
Safin also got back on to the court after a much longer absence on Tuesday. The fourth-seeded Safin hadn’t played since Wimbledon because of a slightly torn ligament in his left knee.
It was better, but still painful.
”I took a risk to come back and play and prepare for the United States Open,” Safin said. ”I decided to try to play, to see if it gets better or if it gets worse.”
He opened his match against Jan Hernych with a double fault, and double-faulted twice while losing the opening game. He eventually got rolling and pulled out a 7-6 (3), 6-4 win.
Safin didn’t wear a brace or wrap on the troublesome knee. He moved better as the match went along, getting into a flow when Hernych was serving for the first set with a 5-4 lead. Safin broke him to even it, won the tiebreaker and then broke him again to start the second set.
”It’s kind of difficult,” Safin said. ”It [the knee injury] is still in my head. When you feel some pain in some movements, you try to avoid those. After the first couple of games, I tried to forget about it and focus on the game.”
Steady rain delayed the day’s opening matches by two hours, forcing organisers to scramble the schedule. Players who had practised in heat of 35 degrees Celsius over the weekend were faced with much different conditions — gloomy, thick air and temperatures in the 20s.
Two other seeded players lost their opening matches on Tuesday after the long rain delay — number 10 Mariano Puerta of Argentina and number 13 Thomas Johansson of Sweden.
”It’s no fun waiting around to see when you’re going to play, if the rain’s going to stop,” said Robby Ginepri, who beat Puerta 7-6 (2), 6-1. ”I’m pretty thrilled that the day’s now finished.”
Three of the tournament’s top four players have advanced to the second round. Number one Roger Federer won his opening match on Monday — his first match since he won Wimbledon.
Agassi had to pull out of the tournament because his chronic back problem flared up, but hopes to be ready for the US Open.
Federer, Hewitt and Safin also are heading into the Open with less time on the court than they’d like — not that Hewitt thinks it will matter to the favourite.
”Federer is in a class of his own,” Hewitt said. ”I don’t think limited matches are going to affect him too much whatsoever. He’s played enough big matches, and his record in finals against top-10 players over the last two years really speaks for itself. I don’t think it’s really going to cause him a lot of havoc.”
Hewitt expects to be back to full strength for the Open, where he won in 2001 and lost to Federer in the title match last year.
”I always feel pretty comfortable when I get to Flushing Meadows,” Hewitt said. ”I really like the atmosphere and the court surface there. I think the whole tournament really suits my game and my attitude as well.” — Sapa-AP