Winning Debut for Nadal
Monday, June 23, 2024
Wimbledon Site
Two players earmarked for greater things were pitted against each other today -- and perhaps to most people's surprise, the 17-year-old Spaniard Rafael Nadal-Parera defeated the 19-year-old Croatian Mario Ancic.
Baby-faced Nadal-Parera, a semi-finalist in last year's Boys� Singles Championships, outplayed Ancic, the player who made headlines when he ousted Roger Federer in the opening round in the 2002 Championships.
Nadal-Parera's 6-3, 6-4, 4-6, 6-4 victory was mainly a result of his quicker adaptability to the grass of Court 6. Ancic, despite his better preparation, with appearances at Surbiton and Queen's in the weeks leading up to Wimbledon, looked very unsettled during the opening sets. His serve lacked bite, his returns were off the mark and his groundstrokes proved non-effective.
The Croatian teenager�s game finally came together sufficiently in the third set to keep himself in contention. But in the fourth set, the more powerful returns of Nadal-Parera produced the decisive break in the eighth game, which saw Ancic concede his serve to love.
In the last game Ancic put up stubborn opposition to prevent the Spaniard serving the match out comfortably. In those final moments, after three hours and five minutes of play, the clash finally provided the promised spectacle. Both remain players to watch, especially the Spaniard who, unlike many of his compatriots, seems to like grass.
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