The Spanish tennis player Rafa Nadal, brand new Olympic champion, debuted in the U.S. Open with victory against the German Bjorn Phaum (7-6 (4), 6-3 and 7-6 (4)), after a rough game in which the Spanish blamed fatigue after the Olympics and the boundless enthusiasm of his rival, which entered the final table from upstream.
The first set was an exchange of blows in which Nadal was unable to impose the condition number one world premiere at Flushing Meadows. Phau lifted the four balls to break his opponent and enjoyed the partial condemned the tiebreaker as both maintained their draw. In the tiebreaker, Nadal took out his quality after a 3-3 start with three balls and closed the partial (7-4).
The second set began with fright as the Majorcan was forced to seek medical help when sent by 2-1. The doctor's Tournament applied a disinfectant and a gauze on the right foot of Nadal and the Spanish came to the stadium as a shot, without giving option to break the German after service for the first time in the encounter (6-3).
However, Phau resurfaced in the last part, thanks in part to the failures of unusual Nadal, who refused to head hampered by the confusion that often accused when he made his debut in a tournament. With 4-4 on the scoreboard, the Balearic finally succeeded in breaking the German's service and got to win the match, but he broke Phau draw for the first time and led to a new set a tiebreaker.
In the last tiebreaker Nadal said enough. He finally raised his range of strokes winners making it clear who sent the legendary track on Arthur Ashe (5-1), despite the unwavering strength of German (7-4). Sealed worked this victory, the Spanish will be measured in the second round winner of the duel between the American Ryler De Heart and Belgian Olivier Rochus.