Nadal battles hard for opening win in Rome

Rafael Nadal showcased his trademark fighting spirit on Thursday at the Internazionali BNL d’Italia, where he recovered from a slow start to defeat resilient Belgian qualifier Zizou Bergs 4-6, 6-3, 6-4.

The Spaniard had lost just one of his previous 18 opening-round matches in Rome but looked in danger of adding to that tally after a disappointing first set against Bergs. However, the 37-year-old is a record 10-time champion in the Italian capital and showed why in the second and third sets, upping his consistency, weight of shot and intensity to triumph after two hours and 54 minutes.

"It was not my best match. I was practising better than how I played today without a doubt but I found a way to win," Nadal said. "That is so important at the beginning of the tournament. My game is more unpredictable than before. I didn't play much tennis for the past two years, so it is up and down. I think I can do much better than I did today and hope I can do it in the next round."

Fighting back in style 🥊🎾@RafaelNadal increased his Forehand #ShotQuality and #StealScore from Set 1 to Set 2&3📈#TennisInsights | @atptour | @InteBNLdItalia pic.twitter.com/u83tW7XkwV

— Tennis Insights (@tennis_insights) May 9, 2024

Nadal is competing in his third consecutive tour-level event, having arrived off the back of a fourth-round run in Madrid. He was not at his best in his first Lexus ATP Head2Head meeting with Bergs, but was gritty and determined in the key moments, saving all five break points he faced in the second and third sets, according to Infosys ATP Stats.

Nadal, who is 7-3 on the season, moved freely around the court and showed no sign of physical limitations in front of a packed center court crowd. Even when he took a tumble at 0-1, 15/15 in the third set, he jumped back up to win the point.

The former No. 1 in the PIF ATP Rankings will face seventh-seed Hubert Hurkacz in the second round and will need to play at a higher level against the Pole if he is to advance, having hit 23 winners and 32 unforced errors against Bergs. Nadal owns the most wins (70) at the Foro Italico, where he first claimed the title on debut in 2005. His most recent triumph at the clay-court event came in 2021.

"It is always emotional to play here," Nadal said. "One of the most important events in my tennis career. The crowd has always been amazing with me, supporting me since the beginning of my tennis career, so super excited to play one more time here."

Bergs came through qualifying in Rome and was seeking his first ATP Masters 1000 match win. The 24-year-old has enjoyed success on clay on the ATP Challenger Tour this year, winning a trophy on the surface in the United States.

The Belgian, No. 96 in the PIF ATP Live Rankings, battled hard against the 92-time tour-level titlist and impressed for large periods, striking a big ball off both wings to trouble Nadal, who was pumped throughout the clash.

Did You Know?
Nadal owns a 410-89 win-loss record at ATP Masters 1000 events. No player has earned more wins than the Spaniard at this level.