Rafael Nadal eases to two-set lead before rain halts play
By Marcus Foley
Published 28/05/2018 at 20:07 GMT+1
Rafael Nadal took a two-set lead against Simone Bolelli in their first round match at Roland Garros before rain halted play. The pair will return tomorrow with Nadal leading 6-4 6-3 0-3.
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Image credit: TNT Sports
The 31-year-old, aiming for a record-extending 11th French Open title, was patient in the first set, securing the decisive break in the 10th game to take it 6-4.
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However, Nadal had to recover from the concession of his serve in the first game of the second, eventually opening up a two-set advantage, having secured that set 6-3 as rain began to fall.
Yet, Bolelli, ranked 129th in the world, played the conditions the better of the two men, taking a three-game lead in the third set before play was halted for the day.
Bolelli, a lucky loser, hit 23 winners to Nadal’s 17 but was undermined by 27 unforced errors compared to Nadal’s 13.
Sixteen-times grand slam winner Nadal has been in imperious form coming into the French Open, winning on clay in Monte Carlo, Barcelona and Rome.
In Madrid he celebrated the landmark of winning 50 consecutive sets on the red dirt before his only blip came in a quarter-final defeat by Austrian Dominic Thiem.
Should he beat Bolelli, he will play either Joao Sousa or Guido Pella in round two.
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