The Spanish tennis player to win not suffer Ruben Bemelmans 6-2, 6-4, 6-2 in one hour and 54 minutes of play in which he was returning to the court after overcoming his hamstring.
After the 1-0 in three sets over Xavier Malisse Fernando Verdasco (6-4, 6-3, 6-1), entered the second armored door. Rafa Nadal is crowned in the four 'big' against Ruben Bemelmans, 144 º, only seven games in the World Tour circuit, proper tennis but without the mordant needed to embarrass the number one. And what happened had to happen: 6-2, 6-4, 6-2 and Spain playing as if he were at home with the 6,000 spectators at the Spiroudome in Charleroi delivered to a computer that meets three top-ten. Of course, Nadal did not have the spark that gives the set of the tournament and missed balls that usually does not forgive. The pounding rhythm did not appear. Nor was normal for his tennis fluid after inactivity arising from the Australia Open.
Two to zero on the scoreboard and tomorrow, Saturday (14:30) the opportunity for Fernando Verdasco and Feliciano Lopez (seven wins and three defeats as doubles in the Davis) make it 3-0 to make Sunday a placid. His rivals will Malisse (very intermittent and lacking physical yesterday) and Olivier Rochus small (1.65 cm). Spain, champion four times in the last ten years, IAEA and the quarter-final.
Nadal, who competed for 37 days, was faced with a player that as grounds for Rochus to advance to the team was winning last week's Challenger in Wolfsburg. And he argued. Nadal pulled out his repertoire of balls deep and lift in the first set (6-2), but then looked uncomfortable in the next two sleeves, between glances and comments with his uncle Toni (the judge came to get their attention). Even dull, Nadal was effective when it should. Left 8 aces, reached out to 205 km / h and only served to be intimidating Bemelmans not come to disturb him. In the third set, broke in the seventh game (5-2) and was launched to shut down 2-0 to Spain. Navy Nadal, Ferrer, Verdasco and Feliciano, undefeated in four qualifying rounds, is particularly expensive in Belgium. With commitment, without blemish.