A groin injury to Bernard Tomic has handed Rafael Nadal a comfortable passage through to the second round of the Australian Open.
The match between the world number one and the 21-year-old Australian was the pick of the first-round draw, but Tomic visibly struggled from the second point of the match.
The world number 57 produced some inspired tennis to share the opening eight games with Nadal, but after the Spaniard broke serve to take the set 6-4, Tomic brought an abrupt end to the encounter.
Read below to see how the action unfolded on the Rod Laver Arena.
Hello, and welcome to Sports Mole's coverage of the match between Rafael Nadal and Bernard Tomic in the Australian Open first round.
Well the heat might finally be going down in Melbourne after an incredibly humid day, but the action is about to hot up on the Rod Laver Arena. This match should be a cracker!
The two players were due on court around 90 minutes ago, but the action got delayed due to Lleyton Hewitt's epic match with Andreas Seppi. The popular Australian mounted a storming fightback before finally succumbing in five sets to the number 24 seed. Can Tomic lift a dejected home crowd? We will find out shortly...
Nadal and Tomic are going currently going through their warmup routine, so I would imagine that we will be getting underway in five minutes time.
The draw probably hasn't been kind to either player. Nadal won this tournament in 2009, while Tomic is Australia's great hope for the future and he reached the fourth round two years ago.
Tomic has won the toss, and he has opted to serve first. Game on!
Tomic fires a super serve straight down the middle to take the opening point, but Nadal outlasts him in the first lengthy rally of the match. Tomic replies with two points in a row, including an ace, but he begins to flex his legs. That didn't look great. A passing shot keeps Nadal in the game, but Tomic sends down a second ace to win the first game. He looks to be struggling though...
This doesn't look good at all. The trainer has been called, but he will carry on for now. It appears to be a groin problem.
Rafa opens with a double fault, but a fine one-two off his serve levels things up. The world number looks as intense as ever, and a curling serve out wide takes him to 40-15. The game is sealed when a weak-looking Tomic miscues a return.
The 21-year-old resorts to an aggressive form of tennis, and it brings him a love game. However, the trainer is on...
A three-minute timeout has been called, and Tomic has left the court to undergo treatment on his groin. It would be a massive shame if this match is brought to an abrupt end. I'm sure that Tomic will give it a go, but I don't think that he will hold back upon his return.
Tomic returns, but he is immediately worked over by a curious Nadal and the Spaniard inevitably wins the rally. Two aces follow, before Tomic miscues a return. Interesting game coming up...
Tomic puts away an easy chance at the net, but grimaces in the process. An ace is followed by an easy put-away at the net, but the grimaces are getting worse. Uh oh. Nadal powers a couple of baseline shots back at the Australian and we are back at 40-30, but Tomic takes the game with a forehand winner. I'm afraid that I don't see this match going on for too much longer...
Nadal smashes his way to a 15-0 lead, but Tomic replies with a stunning return winner. I think that's his only hope right now. Tomic misfires with two baseline shot, but an excellent whipped forehand into the corner keeps him in the game. Nadal retains his composure, however, after forcing Tomic on the run.
The home player eases into a 30-0 advantage, but Nadal then drives a forehand passing shot past the outstretched reach of Tomic. The young Australian throws in a double fault, but it's not enough to stop him taking a 4-3 lead.
The pair engage in a hard-hitting rally before Tomic dumps an attempted winner into the net, but a weak effort from Nadal restores parity. Nadal edges in front again, but Tomic displays his undoubted skill by flicking a baseline shot into the corner. It's 30-30, but a big first serve does the job for Nadal - looked like a foot fault to me though. Tomic breaks a string when going for another winner, and that's the game for the Spaniard.
BREAK! This is a massive game for Tomic in the context of the match. He begins by hitting the ball into the net, but Nadal obliges by doing the same thing. However, a delightful forehand from the world number one gives him 15-30, and he has a sniff of the break, but wow. Tomic whips a forehand winner into the corner. But double WOW. Nadal responds in kind by hooking a top-spin forehand onto the line. Break point to Nadal, and it's taken when Tomic fires a shot wide from the baseline.
SET! Tomic looked in some discomfort at the changeover, but three of the flattest forehands that you will ever see help win the first point of Nadal's service game. How does reply to that? With two aces. He marginally misses with a third, but a second serve isn't returned and the Spaniard has two set points. Tomic attempts a drop shot, but it comes to nothing, and that's the opener to Nadal. Tomic trudges back to his seat, and the end of this match could be near.
RAFAEL NADAL IS THROUGH TO THE SECOND ROUND OF THE AUSTRALIAN OPEN
As we feared, and expected, Tomic has retired with a groin injury. It's the correct decision, but that's hugely disappointing for the home crowd.
Tomic deserves a lot of credit for carrying on the way that he did. There is talk that he suffered the injury in practice yesterday, and he was visibly in no fit state to continue. As for Nadal, it took him a while to get going, but the Spaniard will be grateful to not have to exert too much energy in the humid conditions.
That will be all from Sports Mole for this match, but please stay with us - Maria Sharapova starts her campaign against Bethanie Mattek-Sands in the next match on the Rod Laver Arena. That will start in around 15 minutes time. Goodbye for now.
Written by
Darren Plant
Darren Plant
