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Nadal, Muguruza, Zverev Edmund advance

By Jacob Akindele
04 July 2018   |   4:01 am
The ladies’ defending champion, Garbine Muguruza opened proceedings on Centre Court as tradition dictates on the second day. The third seeded lady defeated home player Naomi Broady 6/2; 7/5.

Spain’s Rafael Nadal returns to Israel’s Dudi Sela during their men’s singles first round match on the second day of the 2018 Wimbledon Championships at The All England Lawn Tennis Club in Wimbledon, southwest London, on July 3, 2018. Ben STANSALL / AFP

The ladies’ defending champion, Garbine Muguruza opened proceedings on Centre Court as tradition dictates on the second day. The third seeded lady defeated home player Naomi Broady 6/2; 7/5.

Keeping up the success roll for Spain, Rafael Nadal defeated Israel’s Dudi Sela 6/3; 6/3; 6/2 in one hour and 50 minutes. British number one Kyle Edmund rolled over Australia’s Alex Bolt 6/2; 6/3; 7/5.

In the first set, Nadal and Sela held serve until the Israeli lost to concede the eighth game. Nadal consolidated at love to win the set, in 28 minutes. Sela held serve in opening game of second set but was broken in the fourth game to give Nadal a 3-1 lead. Although taken to deuce in the fifth game, Sela held for 3-2. Nadal rolled on to 4-2 and the set proceeded routinely on serve, enduing 6-3 for Nadal.

Sela broke Nadal’s serve in the opening game of the third set but immediately lost his serve. Nadal won the third game at love and took his opponent’s serve to lead 3-1. The maestro was taken to deuce in the fifth but held serve.

Sela reduced the tally to 4-2 but Nadal did not drop a point on serve to extend lead to 5-2. Serving to stay in the match, Sela lost two game points and saved two match points before Nadal clinched the game win the set and match.

Nadal dominated the match in all areas. Although Sela had one more ace than Nadal’s 3, the Spaniard delivered a higher percentage of first serves and won seventy-nine percent of points played after. Also, he won many points on returning serves. What made the greatest difference was Nadal taking five of eleven break points while Sela clinched only one of four break opportunities.

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