Two-time champion Rafael Nadal started his Wimbledon campaign with a 6-4, 6-2, 6-4 win over Thomaz Belluci. Rafa’s second round opponent will be Dustin Brown, who advanced with a 3-6, 6-3, 7-5, 6-4 win over Lu Yen-Hsun.
After the match, Rafa said: “I played a solid match, with some problems on my serve, but no bad feelings. My forehand needs to get a little better. The feeling here is so good, it’s one of the best places in the world.”
LONDON, ENGLAND – JUNE 30: Rafael Nadal of Spain walks out onto court for his Gentlemens Singles first round match against Thomaz Bellucci of Brazil during day two of the Wimbledon Lawn Tennis Championships at the All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club on June 30, 2015 in London, England. (Photo by Julian Finney/Getty Images)
Rafael Nadal of Spain serves during his match against Thomaz Bellucci of Brazil at the Wimbledon Tennis Championships in London, June 30, 2015. REUTERS/Stefan Wermuth
Rafael Nadal of Spain serves during his match against Thomaz Bellucci of Brazil at the Wimbledon Tennis Championships in London, June 30, 2015. REUTERS/Stefan Wermuth
Rafael Nadal of Spain returns a ball to Thomaz Bellucci of Brazil during their singles first round match at the All England Lawn Tennis Championships in Wimbledon, London, Tuesday June 30, 2015. (AP Photo/Kirsty Wigglesworth)
LONDON, ENGLAND – JUNE 30: Xisca Perello, girlfriend of Rafael Nadal of Spain, looks on during his Gentlemens Singles first round match against Thomaz Bellucci of Brazil on day two of the Wimbledon Lawn Tennis Championships at the All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club on June 30, 2015 in London, England. (Photo by Julian Finney/Getty Images)
Rafael Nadal of Spain hits a volley during his match against Thomaz Bellucci of Brazil at the Wimbledon Tennis Championships in London, June 30, 2015. REUTERS/Stefan Wermuth
LONDON, ENGLAND – JUNE 30: Rafael Nadal of Spain reacts in his Gentlemens Singles first round match against Thomaz Bellucci of Brazil during day two of the Wimbledon Lawn Tennis Championships at the All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club on June 30, 2015 in London, England. (Photo by Julian Finney/Getty Images)
LONDON, ENGLAND – JUNE 30: Rafael Nadal of Spain reacts in his Gentlemens Singles first round match against Thomaz Bellucci of Brazil during day two of the Wimbledon Lawn Tennis Championships at the All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club on June 30, 2015 in London, England. (Photo by Julian Finney/Getty Images)
Beads of sweat drop off Rafael Nadal of Spain’s face during his match against Thomaz Bellucci of Brazil at the Wimbledon Tennis Championships in London, June 30, 2015. REUTERS/Stefan Wermuth
Rafael Nadal of Spain returns a ball to Thomaz Bellucci of Brazil during their singles first round match at the All England Lawn Tennis Championships in Wimbledon, London, Tuesday June 30, 2015. (AP Photo/Kirsty Wigglesworth)
LONDON, ENGLAND – JUNE 30: Rafael Nadal of Spain in action in his Gentlemens Singles first round match against Thomaz Bellucci of Brazil during day two of the Wimbledon Lawn Tennis Championships at the All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club on June 30, 2015 in London, England. (Photo by Julian Finney/Getty Images)
Rafael Nadal of Spain returns a ball to Thomaz Bellucci of Brazil during their singles first round match at the All England Lawn Tennis Championships in Wimbledon, London, Tuesday June 30, 2015. (AP Photo/Kirsty Wigglesworth)
General view of No1 Court as Rafael Nadal of Spain plays in his Gentlemens Singles first round match against Thomaz Bellucci of Brazil during day two of the Wimbledon Lawn Tennis Championships at the All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club on June 30, 2015 in London, England. (June 29, 2015 – Source: Julian Finney/Getty Images Europe)
LONDON, ENGLAND – JUNE 30: Rafael Nadal of Spain reacts in his Gentlemens Singles first round match against Thomaz Bellucci of Brazil during day two of the Wimbledon Lawn Tennis Championships at the All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club on June 30, 2015 in London, England. (Photo by Julian Finney/Getty Images)
LONDON, ENGLAND – JUNE 30: Rafael Nadal of Spain reacts in his Gentlemens Singles first round match against Thomaz Bellucci of Brazil during day two of the Wimbledon Lawn Tennis Championships at the All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club on June 30, 2015 in London, England. (Photo by Julian Finney/Getty Images)
Rafael Nadal of Spain hits a shot during his match against Thomaz Bellucci of Brazil at the Wimbledon Tennis Championships in London, June 30, 2015. REUTERS/Stefan Wermuth
Rafael Nadal of Spain in action in his Gentlemens Singles first round match against Thomaz Bellucci of Brazil during day two of the Wimbledon Lawn Tennis Championships at the All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club on June 30, 2015 in London, England. (June 29, 2015 – Source: Julian Finney/Getty Images Europe)
LONDON, ENGLAND – JUNE 30: Rafael Nadal of Spain in action in his Gentlemens Singles first round match against Thomaz Bellucci of Brazil during day two of the Wimbledon Lawn Tennis Championships at the All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club on June 30, 2015 in London, England. (Photo by Julian Finney/Getty Images)
LONDON, ENGLAND – JUNE 30: Rafael Nadal of Spain in action in his Gentlemens Singles first round match against Thomaz Bellucci of Brazil during day two of the Wimbledon Lawn Tennis Championships at the All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club on June 30, 2015 in London, England. (Photo by Julian Finney/Getty Images)
Beads of sweat drop off Rafael Nadal of Spain’s face as he prepares to serve during his match against Thomaz Bellucci of Brazil at the Wimbledon Tennis Championships in London, June 30, 2015. REUTERS/Stefan Wermuth
Rafael Nadal of Spain struggles to take his shirt off during a break between games of his match against Thomaz Bellucci of Brazil at the Wimbledon Tennis Championships in London, June 30, 2015. REUTERS/Stefan Wermuth
Rafael Nadal of Spain struggles to take his shirt off during a break between games of his match against Thomaz Bellucci of Brazil at the Wimbledon Tennis Championships in London, June 30, 2015. REUTERS/Stefan Wermuth
LONDON, ENGLAND – JUNE 30: Rafael Nadal of Spain changes his shirt in the high temperatures in his Gentlemens Singles first round match against Thomaz Bellucci of Brazil during day two of the Wimbledon Lawn Tennis Championships at the All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club on June 30, 2015 in London, England. (Photo by Julian Finney/Getty Images)
Rafael Nadal of Spain with a towel on his head during a break between games of his match against Thomaz Bellucci of Brazil at the Wimbledon Tennis Championships in London, June 30, 2015. REUTERS/Stefan Wermuth
Rafael Nadal of Spain puts a new shirt on during a break between games of his match against Thomaz Bellucci of Brazil at the Wimbledon Tennis Championships in London, June 30, 2015. REUTERS/Stefan Wermuth
LONDON, ENGLAND – JUNE 30: Rafael Nadal of Spain reacts after winning his Gentlemens Singles first round match against Thomaz Bellucci of Brazil during day two of the Wimbledon Lawn Tennis Championships at the All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club on June 30, 2015 in London, England. (Photo by Julian Finney/Getty Images)
LONDON, ENGLAND – JUNE 30: Rafael Nadal of Spain reacts while winning his Gentlemens Singles first round match against Thomaz Bellucci of Brazil during day two of the Wimbledon Lawn Tennis Championships at the All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club on June 30, 2015 in London, England. (Photo by Julian Finney/Getty Images)
Rafael Nadal of Spain shakes sweat of his head after winning his match against Thomaz Bellucci of Brazil at the Wimbledon Tennis Championships in London, June 30, 2015. REUTERS/Stefan Wermuth
Rafael Nadal of Spain shakes sweat of his head after winning his match against Thomaz Bellucci of Brazil at the Wimbledon Tennis Championships in London, June 30, 2015. REUTERS/Stefan Wermuth
Rafael Nadal of Spain celebrates after winning his match against Thomaz Bellucci of Brazil at the Wimbledon Tennis Championships in London, June 30, 2015. REUTERS/Stefan Wermuth
Rafael Nadal of Spain celebrates after winning his match against Thomaz Bellucci of Brazil at the Wimbledon Tennis Championships in London, June 30, 2015. REUTERS/Stefan Wermuth
LONDON, ENGLAND – JUNE 30: Rafael Nadal of Spain reacts after winning his Gentlemens Singles first round match against Thomaz Bellucci of Brazil during day two of the Wimbledon Lawn Tennis Championships at the All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club on June 30, 2015 in London, England. (Photo by Julian Finney/Getty Images)
Rafael Nadal of Spain celebrates after winning his match against Thomaz Bellucci of Brazil at the Wimbledon Tennis Championships in London, June 30, 2015. REUTERS/Stefan Wermuth
LONDON, ENGLAND – JUNE 30: Rafael Nadal of Spain reacts after winning his Gentlemens Singles first round match against Thomaz Bellucci of Brazil during day two of the Wimbledon Lawn Tennis Championships at the All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club on June 30, 2015 in London, England. (Photo by Julian Finney/Getty Images)
Rafael Nadal (L) of Spain shakes hands with his opponent after winning his Gentlemens Singles first round match against Thomaz Bellucci of Brazil during day two of the Wimbledon Lawn Tennis Championships at the All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club on June 30, 2015 in London, England. (June 29, 2015 – Source: Julian Finney/Getty Images Europe)
Rafael Nadal of Spain celebrates after defeating Thomaz Bellucci of Brazil in the singles first round match at the All England Lawn Tennis Championships in Wimbledon, London, Tuesday June 30, 2015. Nadal won the match 6-4, 6-2, 6-4.(AP Photo/Kirsty Wigglesworth)
Rafael Nadal of Spain celebrates after winning his match against Thomaz Bellucci of Brazil at the Wimbledon Tennis Championships in London, June 30, 2015. REUTERS/Stefan Wermuth
LONDON, ENGLAND – JUNE 30: Rafael Nadal of Spain reacts after winning his Gentlemens Singles first round match against Thomaz Bellucci of Brazil during day two of the Wimbledon Lawn Tennis Championships at the All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club on June 30, 2015 in London, England. (Photo by Julian Finney/Getty Images)
Rafael Nadal of Spain reacts following his Gentlemen’s Singles first round match against Thomaz Bellucci of Brazil during day two of the Wimbledon Lawn Tennis Championships at the All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club on June 30, 2015 in London, England. (June 29, 2015 – Source: Julian Finney/Getty Images Europe)
OLA DEAR RAFA!!!!!!!!!!! : ) Have a great evening & enjoy your on going blessed success !!!!! : ) Have lots of fun tomorrow & enjoy your next match!!!! : ) Your movement and agility on grass is superb…..& your shots, serve and speed to the net are strong & skillful!!!! The way you adjusted your serve time is admirable!!!! We respect your tenacity & adore your beautiful presence on the court!!!!! VAMOS dear Rafa & God bless you!!!!! : )
Once again, I have to agree with J Beer’s assessment of Rafa’s performance. His forehand is no where near where it needs to be if he has any intention of winning this tournament. He had 23 unforced errors & 21 winners today, a less than stellar ratio to say the least. I don’t have a breakdown, but it seemed like most of the errors came off his “strong” wing, a continuation of a 21-month pattern for Rafa, dating back to October 2013, with the lone exception being last year’s French Open.
On the bright side, Rafa’s backhand is looking much better, he’s volleying superbly, and his return of serve looked sharp. His serve was off today, but that was more of an anomaly than anything else. I fully expect his serve to markedly improve in later rounds. But unfortunately, I have no such confidence in his forehand getting much better. Its just been sub-par for too damn long to realistically expect a miraculous turnaround in the next 12 days.
The Andy Murray comparison that Debby made is absurd. Murray is currently ranked #3 in the world, not #10 like Rafa is. He’s had a far better year than Rafa has, and is playing at the level we’ve come to expect from him. Rafa, not so much.
VAMOS!!!
Your analysis is spot-on, but here a lot of the commentators would prefer it if you write empty phrases like “We love you Rafa” “You’re the cutest” “Even if you lose, you are the best” instead. These people don’t realize that tennis history is at stake and that Rafa has the opportunity to show that he is the GOAT instead of the overrated Roger Federer, who won 12 of his 17 majors in the weakest era in the history of the game (while Rafa always had to go through big 4 opponents). But no, they prefer to remember nonsense like “Aaaah that cute smile”.
If Rafa doesn’t go down in history as GOAT, he is still one of the greatest. Your obsession with Rafa being GOAT as well as constant disrespect towards Fed (who I don’t even like) is pathetic. You come across as if you are 12 – grow up!
Wtf are you talking about this is probably the second time i even mention Fed.
CONGRATULATIONS RAFA WELL DONE ON YOUR WIN TODAY, A VERY ENTERTAINING MATCH. IRISH FAN
Vamos Rafa, trata de no cometer errores, eres increible
Dear Rafa, well done today.please keep this up…my grandaughter is going to Wimbledon mommyto watch you on Thursday and has promised to blow kisses to you from me..your greatest fan…Shirley Bird (86) from Durban, South Africa. She has a Spanish and a south african flag to wave for you and us. VAMOS..love you! Xxxxxx
Dear Rafa, well done today.please keep this up…my grandaughter is going to Wimbledon mommyto watch you on Thursday and has promised to blow kisses to you from me..your greatest fan…Shirley Bird (86) from Durban, South Africa. She has a Spanish and a south african flag to wave for you and us. VAMOS..love you! Xxxxxx
Mommy crept into that message..dont know why, but is part of my email address..dont know how to remove it ..ha ha !
Congratulations Rafa: Very positive start. Keep feeling good on court in every way possible — that is key. God Bless you, Love, Marylynn
For those of us who know tennis, and know Rafa’s history, we know this was a positive first step at Wimbledon Round 1. After what he went through the last 3 years, he was nervous and just wanted to get through. Would he win a final playing like this? Of course not – but it’s not the final, is it?
Watching Murray right now. He barely won the first set – actually handed to him by opponent. Now they are on serve 5-5. Does that mean that Murray sucks? That he won’t win the tournament?
Keep it up, Rafa, keep practicing the serve and serve like you did in Stutt.
I and many other fans are totally fed up with your negative comments J Beer, why don’t you remove yourself from his face book as you have nothing positive to say about him, either support him or say nothing. He played very well today and is building himself up along with the support of all who love him
Nope not going anywhere. The pussy approach has brought Rafa nothing in the last 13 months. Dillusional ya-sayers are useless.
j Beer whoever you are !!! I love Rafa ,he always makes a slow start but improves as he gets more match fitness, he needs to stop the double faults, improve his serve and his forehand and he will be fine ,it is about 6 months ago since he had an appendectomy ,it really takes some time to recover,so he will improve and I hope he can go far in the tournament,I had an appendectomy as an adult and it took me a while so I wish him well,Do not write off a 14 grand slam champion and an Olympic gold medallist that easily.He will be back maybe not this time but watch out 2016.
I totally agree. Rafa doesn’t need another cheerleader. He needs another coach. Desperately. If more of his fans would urge him to make such a change, perhaps he would finally get the message, and might even give it a try. Just for us. VAMOS!!!
Just to clarify, I was agreeing with J Beer, not Carmel.
Rafa was injured for 3 of those 13 months.
Rafs will NEVER get a new coach. EVER. Why do some people fail to grasp that?
Congrats Nadal ..
VAMOS DEAR RAFA!!!!!! : ) : ) : ) CONGRATULATIONS on your solid & strong grass victory today !!!!!! : ) That was powerful & skillful!!!! It was a treat to watch your outstanding tennis skills applied onto grass!!!!! : ) ci….ci…. Exceptional !!!! : ) You intuitively had the knowing of how to move forward throughout the match & your returns were outstanding!!!!!!!! Loved the net win right at the beginning of the match….& all your amazing sideline shots…. very happy for you!!!! I also loved how you held to your serve when the opponent kept trying w each point throughout the match!!! Enjoy your win sweetheart & have lots and lots of fun playing your next match!!!!: ) You move great on grass & you played beautifully!!!! VAMOS!!!!! : )
ps: for all the great fans…..for the first time I had two Live match windows open on the screen : espn3 & live stream – and it was great since they were slightly in different timing so it was much better …. did not miss any points….plus could watch some twice….
J Beer, what a sad negative outlook. Listen to the experienced commentator John McInroe who says “never write Rafa off”! Congratulations Rafa. May tomorrow be another good day. God bless you. Love your Aussie Abuela. 😀😃
You know what is really sad? People who write things like “He’s back” after a performance like today. Then you clearly don’t know your tennis, let alone Nadals tennis. There was no forehand today and that’s essential.
Ok Rafa u won but u have become a bit slower . U have to be faster in yr movements .Tough matches ahead .
He’s back
Sent from my Samsung Galaxy smartphone.
salut rafa ,yes premier tour ok ,tu es la légende de ce tournoi avec federer bravo rafa vamos !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
good match today. The first round is always tough but Rafa made a good job. Good footwork and a solid backhand. The forhand had some errors but it will be better in the next match;)
Enjoy your win Rafa and take rest. All the best for the match against Brown. <3 <3 <3
Good start to wimbledon Rafa ,,,,but ohhhhhh soooo nervous serving for the set 1&2 ,but a great win ,
Positive that Rafa won, but not good enough to make anyone believe he will be a contender. Way too many errors with the FH and a negative balance between winners and UE overall.
J Beer…are you a pro?