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Nadal Struts Past Wild Card Reynolds
by Neil E. Schlecht
August 29th, 2005
Rafael Nadal, the swashbuckling teenage sensation whose intense, muscular style of play catapulted him to the No. 2 world ranking and this year's French Open title, opened his US Open campaign with a convincing 6-3, 6-3, 6-4 victory over an unsung and outgunned American, Bobby Reynolds.
Stalking the court in the mid-day sun, Nadal fired loopy inside-out forehands that dipped just inside the baseline and ripped angled passing shots off both wings to defeat Reynolds, a former college standout at Vanderbilt. Reynolds gamely blasted big serves (up to 131 mph) and aggressive forehands, but Nadal repeatedly got the better of his challenger during long rallies. Nadal, the tournament's second seed, broke serve twice to take the opening set. Showing off his trademark defensive scrambling and foot speed, the Spaniard easily pulled away from Reynolds in the last two sets to charge into the second round.
Nadal, a lefty with an extreme Western grip, heavy topspin and an uncanny ability to chase down his opponent's most offensive shots, excels on clay but has quickly proved that he can compete on any surface. After winning Roland Garros on red clay, Nadal continued his year-long hot streak by winning a hard-court Master's Series title earlier this month in Toronto over Andre Agassi.
A strapping six-footer from the Mediterranean island of Mallorca, Nadal cuts a striking, even intimidating, presence on court. Boldly clad in a skin-tight, blood-red sleeveless jersey -- the color of a matador's cape -- and black pirate pants, Nadal strode into Arthur Ashe Stadium with a single racquet in hand and sprinted to the baseline for the warmup, signaling his readiness to show just how far he's come this year.
His rise has been meteoric. Winner of nine ATP titles in 2005, Nadal began the year at No. 51 and immediately dominated the European clay-court season, racing to the fifth spot by May. The 19-year-old has won more matches on tour this year than any other player and has twice defeated world no. 1 Roger Federer in the last 24 months.
Playing in just his third US Open, Nadal has clearly gone from hot prospect to real contender.
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