January 14, 2025
Auckland Site

The young Spaniard Rafael Nadal began last year playing both the ATP and Challenger circuits, compiling an impressive winning record for a 17-year-old. He won two Challenger events in Barletta and Segovia, won an ATP doubles title with partner Lopez Moron, and qualified for two Tennis Masters Series tournaments in Monte Carlo and Hamburg. He reached the third round on both those occasions. He also reached the third round at Wimbledon in his debut, becoming the youngest player to do so since Boris Becker in 1984.

It may be premature to put him in such illustrious company, but there is much about him that is similar to the young Becker - of course he looks nothing like the big German and stylistically it might be more accurate to compare him to a young Agassi, but nevertheless - the confidence bordering on brashness, the boundless energy, the fire in the belly and the raw shot-making talent.

The young Spaniard Rafael Nadal began last year playing both the ATP and Challenger circuits, compiling an impressive winning record for a 17-year-old. He won two Challenger events in Barletta and Segovia, won an ATP doubles title with partner Lopez Moron, and qualified for two Tennis Masters Series tournaments in Monte Carlo and Hamburg. He reached the third round on both those occasions. He also reached the third round at Wimbledon in his debut, becoming the youngest player to do so since Boris Becker in 1984.

It may be premature to put him in such illustrious company, but there is much about him that is similar to the young Becker - of course he looks nothing like the big German and stylistically it might be more accurate to compare him to a young Agassi, but nevertheless - the confidence bordering on brashness, the boundless energy, the fire in the belly and the raw shot-making talent.

Underneath all that, he seems focused and well-grounded. He freely offered after his first round win (7-6 6-4 over fourth seed Sjeng Schalken) the modest observation that he would not have won if the game had gone to a third set. But he had just stepped off a plane from Chennai, and this was obviously part of his reasoning.

The next night we saw what he could do after a good night's rest. Against the big-serving Croatian qualifier Mario Ancic, he lost serve in both sets before fighting back and taking them to tiebreaks. The first tiebreak he won 7-0, and the second 8-6 after being 0-5 down. He then told the crowd how pleased he was to be here, and apologised for his English while grinning from ear to ear . The nature of the win had delighted him as much as it had the crowd.

Nadal was cautious about his prospects for his quarters match against Frenchman Gregory Carraz. "He serves very good. This match will be very difficult. I won in Hamburg in three sets. But all of the quarter-finals are difficult," he said.

Nadal is ranked No. 48 in the world in the latest ATP Entry Rankings which came out on Monday while Carraz is 65th.

Underneath all that, he seems focused and well-grounded. He freely offered after his first round win (7-6 6-4 over fourth seed Sjeng Schalken) the modest observation that he would not have won if the game had gone to a third set. But he had just stepped off a plane from Chennai, and this was obviously part of his reasoning.

The next night we saw what he could do after a good night's rest. Against the big-serving Croatian qualifier Mario Ancic, he lost serve in both sets before fighting back and taking them to tiebreaks. The first tiebreak he won 7-0, and the second 8-6 after being 0-5 down. He then told the crowd how pleased he was to be here, and apologised for his English while grinning from ear to ear . The nature of the win had delighted him as much as it had the crowd.

Nadal was cautious about his prospects for his quarters match against Frenchman Gregory Carraz. "He serves very good. This match will be very difficult. I won in Hamburg in three sets. But all of the quarter-finals are difficult," he said.

Nadal is ranked No. 48 in the world in the latest ATP Entry Rankings which came out on Monday while Carraz is 65th.