Of all the potential upsets lurking around the second day of
the French Open, one match where the bookmakers certainly weren’t taking many
bets was the encounter between seven time champion Rafael Nadal and world
number 59 Daniel Brands.
Like Rodger Federer on the opening day, the Philippe
Chatrier crowd anticipated a one sided master class from the so called king of
clay but it’s the 6 foot 5 German they will remember, his booming severe and
blistering forehand came just points away from a 2 sets to 0 lead against the
seven time champion threatening the biggest shock possible.
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| Nadal survives an early and unexpected scare |
Despite his immaculate start to the year reaching eight out
eight finals Nadal was playing his first Grand Slam match since his defeat to
Lukas Rosol at Wimbledon last year, following eight months away from the sport
with a knee injury.
Returning to his beloved Roland Garros for the first time
since breaking Bjorn Borg’s record last
year, Nadal’s opening match couldn’t have looked more one sided, the number
three seed had only lost once in the French capital, while Brands had failed to
win a match at Roland Garros losing in four previous first round matches.
With Nadal serving first the crowd waited for the break of
serve which would allow him to run away with the set. But it didn’t come.
Unfazed by the occasion Brands refused to budge; his serving was immaculate as
he mopped up the Spaniard’s returns with his sweltering forehand and skills at
the net.
Brands serve volleyed his way out of multiple break points,
giving Nadal plenty to think about. With the pair locked at 4-4 the pressure
told, the seven times Champion served two double faults in one game to hand the
break the way of the German whose level showed no signs of dropping as he
astonishingly served out the first set.
The second set was now key and although Nadal was rarely
troubled on his own serve he was unable to hold off the barrage of winners
Brands was hitting when serving. The German’s all-round game was now beginning
to sparkle as he forced a second set tie-break.
Two hammering forehands from Brands saw him race into a 3-0
lead. The reigning champion was on the ropes. The momentum shift came at 3-2, a
menacing serve from the German forced Nadal off the court where he slipped;
with an open court to aim for Brands dumped a back hand into the net meaning
they swapped sides at 3-3 in the breaker.
Against Nadal there are rarely second chances, his level
abruptly moved up a gear to clinch the tie-break and steer the match into his
control.
The mental strength of Brands was to be tested to the
maximum, as he was broken in the first game of the third. But to his credit he
kept on fighting creating a set point of his own; however it was quickly
snubbed out by the clinical Nadal.
A single break was enough for the Spaniard to seal the third
set and it was a similar story in the fourth, Brands’ shots lacked that extra
threat they had in the first two sets.
Brands was broken his first game of the fourth and the final
game of the match to conclude his short but longer the expected tournament, as
he put up a stern fight against the toughest possible opponent.
Nadal has always made it clear that he doesn’t underestimate
any of his opponents, and it was a good job he didn’t as he remains the red hot
favourite to retain his title for an unprecedented eighth time.
