This happened to him against American veteran, Michael Russell. Russell was able to keep even and even engineer a break when Nadal netted a shot, but Nadal broke back immediately then broke again and the set was basically his. Russell won 4 more games and was unable to impose a game that would bother Nadal.
Berdych has an easy win over Volandri. Berdych’s best chance to do well at a Slam should be Wimbledon where the points are short and where his flatter style of play should work in his favor. He has struggled since reaching the finals of Wimbledon, but may feel some inspiration.
Monfils won in three close sets over German, Bachinger. Stan Wawrinka won in straight sets over Italian, Potito Starace. Feliciano Lopez beat Michael Berrer in straight sets. Ryan Sweeting beat Pablo Andujar in 5 sets, 6-1 in the fifth. He’ll play Rafa in the second round.
Renewing the Slovenian-Slovakian rivalry (a bit of a joke), Zmelja of Slovenia beat Lacko of Slovakia in four sets. Benneteau needed 5 sets to beat Belgium’s best player, Bemelmans. Dudi Sela, Igor Kunitsyn, and Simone Bolleli won their matches in straight sets.
Mardy Fish faced a tough opponent in Marcel Granollers but won in straight sets. Milos Raonic beat Marc Gicquel in straight sets. In a bit of an upset, Denis Istomin beat Philipp Petzschner, a finalist at Halle, in four sets in a bit of an upset. Veteran Rainer Schuettler, once a Wimbledon semifinalist, beat 3oth seed, Thomaz Bellucci, in straight sets.
In a battle of two Americans who both beat Andy Murray (one at Indian Wells, the other at Miami), Alex Bogomolov Jr. who had never played in the main draw of a Slam beat Donald Young in four sets.
Richard Gasquet won in four sets over Giraldo of Colombia. Gilles Muller beat 2009 semifinalist, Tommy Haas, in four sets. Haas has been coming off of injury. He last played at the French Open where he also lost in the first round.
There are matches ongoing but are held up due to rain.
