Defending champion Rafael Nadal out of Australian Open, loses in straight sets in the second round. USA’s Mackenzie McDonald advanced to the third round after knocking out Nadal 6-4, 6-4, 7-5. Nadal, the No. 1 seed in this year’s first Grand Slam, as McDonald secured the biggest win of his career. The American played with great poise & precision early on before Nadal’s injury changed the tone with which he was playing. Facing the 65th-ranked American Nadal produced his ‘worst Grand Slam result’ in seven years.
The Spanish 36-year-old, who was struggling with what appeared to be a hip injury, took time out. He continued after a brief period of break but couldn’t match the tempo he had before.
“He’s in absolute disbelief of what just happened,” Jim Courier said during commentary when Nadal was had taken a medical timeout during the second set. “There is nothing in the swing in this the backhand which was a beautiful winner that would have indicated there was a problem but there certainly is.
“I just hope it’s not the same problem that took him out of Wimbledon last year when he had won so many matches in a row. He had won two matches in a row. He was tracking for the calendar year Grand Slam and then unable to take the court in the semifinals. This is a point later. You can see he has problems Tod and they’re real.”
Even Nadal’s wife Maria Francisca Perello was in tears seeing her husband struggle in the middle.
Speaking of his triumph, the victor McDonald said: “It was pretty tough to stay mentally engaged but I found a way to just pull it out. He’s an incredible champion, he’s never going to give up regardless of the situation. I was trying to stay focused on what I was trying to do and he kind of got me out of my rhythm, and I just got through it.”
Earlier, Nadal produced a scrappy four-set win in the first round over Jack Draper, producing a number of unforced errors even as Draper began to suffer from cramp. Nadal had hoped to produce a better performance in the second round but he looked even more poor.
Producing an error-strewn service game, Nadal struggled from the beginning as McDonald took advantage by serving extremely well. The American soaked up the pressure with his movement and constantly attacked the Spaniard. In the end, he was awarded with a deserved win.
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