US Open 2017: Rafael Nadal survives early scares

World No. 1 Rafael Nadal has survived early scares at the 2017 US Open, but will he be able to right the ship before it’s too late?

The early days of the 2017 US Open have been some of the most unpredictable in recent history. Upsets have been provided in abundance, with heavy favorites on both the men’s and women’s draws going down in the first and second round.

Although they avoided upsets, neither Roger Federer nor Rafael Nadal have been immune to the early scares—and Nadal’s were no less concerning than Federer’s.

Both Federer and Nadal have moved on to the third round of the 2017 US Open, but not without enduring some battle wounds. Federer was tested in both of his matches, and Nadal was forced to overcome early scares.

The name of the game is survive and advance, but it’s only rational for fans to be skeptical of whether the legendary duo will make it as far as they’re expected to go.

Nadal, the world No. 1, outlasted Dusan Lajovic in the first round: 7-6 (8-6), 6-2, 6-2. The final two sets were dominant displays, but Nadal trailed 1-4 in the first, and was in danger of falling behind 1-5 with Lajovic securing a break point opportunity.

Instead, Nadal found an ace at the most opportune of moments and stormed back—only to find himself in a 3-5 hole.

Nadal proceeded to win three of the next four games, eventually reaching a tiebreak that granted him the opportunity to overcome the early struggles. Shockingly, Lajovic played with just as much competitiveness as he started with.

Nadal ultimately won the tiebreaker by a count of 8-6, but even with what became a straight-sets victory, the critics were out in full force

https://twitter.com/usopen/status/903475030545145861

The second round did Nadal no favors, as he astonishing dropped the first set to Taro Daniel—the No. 121 ranked player in the world. He survived by winning the next three sets 6-3, 6-2, 6-2, but it was yet another concerning development.

If Nadal starts matches this slowly against a higher caliber of opponent, it’s fair to question if he’d be able to recover in time for a victory.

Nadal will next be tested in the third round by veteran Leonardo Mayer of Argentina. It isn’t yet a matchup against a Top 20 player, but if Nadal struggles out of the gates in a third consecutive round, he may run into trouble.

If one of the greatest players in the history of this beautiful sport is going to add a 16th Grand Slam title to his already glowing resume, he’ll need to start stronger.

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The question is: Are the early struggles a sign of losses to come? Or are they the tests that Rafael Nadal needed in order to prepare himself for the pursuit of yet another US Open crown?’