I missed this match completely, so I cannot comment on it or give any opinions, below is a breakdown of the match from the ATPWorldTour site. But from what I could follow on the livescore's & the pics say it..clearly Rafa struggled, perhaps its time for a sports psychologist? We know Uncle Toni is probably the one to go to on all matters, just think Rafa needs to let off some issues?.. please do something "rapido" Rafa faces Croatian #227 Antonio Veic. They have never played each other before.


World No. 1 Rafael Nadal provoked more questions in the early stages of his Roland Garros title defence as he was forced to dig deep to overcome an unlikely challenger in World No. 48 Pablo Andujar.

A straight-sets win for Nadal far from tells the story of the match, in which the defending champion trailed 1-5 in the third set and saved eight set points before prevailing 7-5, 6-3, 7-6(4) in three hours and 18 minutes.

Bidding to reach the third round at a Grand Slam championship for the first time, the 25-year-old Andujar was a constant thorn in Nadal’s side. Nadal broke decisively in the 12th game to clinch the opening set, and looked to have gathered momentum as he immediately broke through at the start of the second set. However, Andujar impressed as he hit back straight away to level 2-2.


Nadal looked to be in command of the match as he broke serve in the eighth game, and fended off three break points to close out the second set 6-3. Not so. Andujar drew gasps from the Suzanne Lenglen court as he broke Nadal twice to race to a 5-1 lead in the third set.

Five-time Roland Garros winner Nadal was forced to draw on all his champion’s qualities as he saved eight set points over the course of the next four games to level at 5-5, and called on greater experience than Andujar in the tie-break to clinch victory.

The 24-year-old Nadal will look to quell some doubters with a more dominant display in his next match, when he faces Croatian Antonio Veic, a surprise 3-6, 6-2, 7-5, 3-6, 6-1 winner over No. 28 seed Nikolay Davydenko of Russia. World No. 227 Veic, 23, had won just one ATP World Tour-level match all season coming into Roland Garros and is through to the third round at a major for the first time.


SOURCE: ATP