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Patna : Top seed and 2009 champion Rafael Nadal, 33, Spain, beat World No 76 Federico Delbonis, 29, Argentina, in straight sets at Rod Laver Arena, Melbourne Park, Victoria, Australia, to enter the third round of Australian Open (AO) 2020 on January 23, 2020.
Nadal beat Delbonis 6-3, 7-6, 6-1 in 2nd round winning 3 break points in the match besides winning 5 games in a row. Nadal fired 8 Aces in the match to 2 by the Argentine. Delbonis, who had reached 3rd round of AO in 2016, committed 8 double faults in the match to 1 by Nadal, who had lost to defending champion Novak Djokovic, 32, Serbia, in 2019 final. Nada’s winning percentage on both his first and second serve ( 85% & 63 %) was much higher than that of Delbonis (65 % & 55%).
The Spaniard won 69 service points to 63 by the Argentine. However, Nadal’s break point conversion rate was very poor in the match. The World No 1 created 20 break point opportunities but could convert only 3 of them. Nadal will face compatriot and 27th seed Pablo Carreno Busta, 28, in third round on January 25, 2020. Nadal leads Busta 4-0 Head to Head.
Busta defeated World No 120 Peter Gojowczyk, 30, Germany, in four-sets 6-4, 6-1, 1-6, 6-2 in 2nd round on January 23. Qualifier Gojowczyk fired 12 Aces in the match to 11 by Busta. The Spaniard won 5 break points to 3 by the German. Both the players won 7 games each in a row in the match.
World No 34 Taylor Fritz, 22, USA, the 29th seed, beat World No 122 Kevin Anderson, 33, South Africa, in a five-set cliffhanger 4-6, 6-7, 7-6, 6-2, 6-2 battling back fron two sets down in 2nd round. Both the players hammered 21 Aces each in the match. But, Fritz won 5 break points in the match to 2 by the South African. Fritz also won 5 games in a row in the match to 3 by Anderson. Fritz will face 5th seed Dominic Thiem, 26, Austria, in 3rd round on January 25.
World No 11 David Goffin, 29, Belgium, beat World No 64 Pierre- Hugues Herbert, 28, France, in a five-set slugfest 6-1, 6-4, 4-6, 1-6, 6-3 in 2nd round. Goffin, the 11th seed, won 9 break points in the match to 8 by Herbert. Herbert, however, won 6 games in a row to 4 by Goffin. Herbert also fired 9 Aces in the match to 3 by the Belgian.
World No 15 Stan Wawrinka, 34, Switzerland, beat World No 85 Andreas Seppi, 35, Italy, in a five-set marathon 4-6, 7-5, 6-3, 3-6, 6-4 in 2nd round. Wawrinka, the 2014 champion, hammered 19 Aces in the match to 5 by the Italian. Wawrinka won 6 break poins to 5 by Seppi. He also won 4 games in arow to 3 by the Italian. Seppi won 97 service points to 95 by Wawrinka. Wawrinka will face World No 19 John Isner, USA, in 3rd round on January 25.
World No 17 Karen Khachanov, 23, Russia, beat World No 78 Mikael Ymer, 21, Sweden, in a five-set thriller 6-2, 2-6, 6-4, 3-6, 7-6 in 2nd round on Court 3. Both the players won 10 break points each in the match. Khachanov, however, fired 7 Aces in the match to 4 by Ymer. The Russian committed 6 double faults to 1 by Ymer. Both the players won 4 games each in a row in the match. Ymer won 99 service points to 86 Khachanov. Khachanov will face 2nd seed Nick Kyrgios, 24, Australia, in 3rd round on January 25.
World No 26 Nick Kyrgios, Australia, beat World No 61 Gilles Simon, 35, France, in four-sets 6-2, 6-4, 4-6, 7-5 in 2nd round. Kyrgios fired 28 Aces in the match to 8 by Simon. The Australian won 5 break points in the match to 2 by Simon. Both the players won 5 games each in a row in the match. Kyrgios won 78 service points to 73 by the French.