Nadal outclasses Blanch to reach the second round in Madrid
There was no match on Court Manolo Santana. On Thursday, Darwin Blanch was not ready for the high level (24 unforced errors) and Rafael Nadal made him understand it. Without playing his best tennis, the king of clay sent his opponent back to his studies. Far too nervous to hope for anything, the American left Madrid after just 1h04 of play (6-1, 6-0).
However, it's not certain that the Spaniard is very satisfied with this match. All the questions he asked himself before coming to Madrid are probably still very much with him. He wasn't challenged at all, and didn't have to do much to win. In the next round, the Majorcan faces a very different opponent. This Saturday, he will meet the player who knocked him out in Barcelona, Alex De Minaur (ranked 11th in the world).
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