Publications
Partners
Melbourne - Rafael Nadal offered words of support to Bernard Tomic on Tuesday after the young Australian retired from their Australian Open first-round clash, drawing boos from a frustrated crowd.
The Spanish world number one won the opening set 6-4 before the Australian called it quits with a left groin injury to jeers from the capacity crowd at Rod Laver Arena.
Tomic looked to be in discomfort from the injury and sought court-side treatment throughout the first set before he called an end as soon as Nadal went ahead 6-4.
It was an anti-climax to the most anticipated match of round one, between the 13-time Grand Slam champion and the talented but undisciplined world number 57.
But Nadal was sympathetic about Tomic's plight and clapped the Australian as he left the court.
"I am very sorry for Bernard and I hope you get better very soon," Nadal said in a court-side interview.
"I know how tough this situation is as I had the same situation a few years ago here on this court, so all the best to him for the rest of the year.
"I saw from the beginning that he had some problems on the leg and he was serving unbelievable in the first couple of games... it is difficult to comment on a match like this."
Nadal, who retired in the 2010 quarter-finals and missed last year's Australian Open with knee trouble, will play another Australian, Thanasi Kokkinakis, in the next round.
Tomic, who reached last week's Sydney International final, said he injured himself during practice on Monday and felt the problem again as he was warming up.
"I thought, 'Oh, no. It's tough playing Rafa with two legs, let alone one,'" said the 21-year-old.
"Nothing I could do. I felt really good the last few weeks the way I was playing, very confident. I felt good on court today. You know, I was serving very good."
Nadal joins his main rivals Novak Djokovic, Roger Federer and Andy Murray in the second round, as the only member of the 'Big Four' not to have hired a celebrity coach.
Djokovic is working with Boris Becker, Federer has hired Stefan Edberg and Murray has had a long association with Ivan Lendl, while Nadal remains with his uncle Toni.
"Well, I am thinking with (John) McEnroe for me now," joked Nadal, adding: "No, seriously for me, I believe in the continuation of the things, long-time work.
"So my team is the same since I started. I never fired anyone from my team in my career. That is something that I am proud of.
"I always believe that if you are playing well, if you are playing not that well, it's always your fault, not the fault of the coach."
But when asked how his uncle, without the knowledge and experience of the tennis elite, had coached him to such success, Nadal smiled: "My secret."
"Toni knows my tennis very well, knows my character very well. He knows what he has to say to me in the important moments, when I am under pressure, when I am scared, when I am confident," he said.
"Nobody knows better me than what my team knows me, because all my team knows me since a long time ago.
"So I feel very confident with them... I really would love to finish my career with the team I have today. I will fight for that."
Results from the Australian Open on Tuesday:
Men's singles:
First round:
Lu Yen-hsun (TPE) bt Jimmy Wang (TPE) 6-3, 6-2, 6-1
Michal Przysiezny (POL) bt Horacio Zeballos (ARG) 6-3, 7-6 (7/4), 7-5
Stephane Robert (FRA) bt Aljaz Bedene (SLO) 7-6 (7/3), 6-3, 6-0
Victor Hanescu (ROU) bt Peter Gojowczyk (GER) 7-6 (7/5), 7-6 (7/5), 6-3
Milos Raonic (CAN x11) bt Daniel Gimeno-Traver (ESP) 7-6 (7/2), 6-1, 4-6, 6-2
Martin Klizan (SVK) bt John Isner (USA x13) 6-2, 7-6 (8/6) ret
Grigor Dimitrov (BUL x22) bt Bradley Klahn (USA) 6-7 (7/9), 6-4, 6-4, 6-3
Dusan Lajovic (SRB) bt Lucas Pouille (FRA) 6-4, 7-6 (11/9), 4-6, 6-3
Kei Nishikori (JPN x16) bt Marinko Matosevic (AUS) 6-3, 5-7, 6-2, 4-6, 6-2
Jo-Wilfried Tsonga (FRA x10) bt Filippo Volandri (ITA) 7-5, 6-3, 6-3
Roger Federer (SUI x6) bt James Duckworth (AUS) 6-4, 6-4, 6-2
Thomaz Bellucci (BRA) bt Julian Reister (GER) 4-6, 6-3, 7-6 (7/5) ret
Benoit Paire (FRA x27) bt Frank Dancevic (CAN) 7-6, (14/12), 6-3, 6-4
Blaz Kavcic (SLO) bt Radek Stepanek (CZE) 6-7 (3/7), 4-6, 6-1, 2-0 ret
Teymuraz Gabashvili (RUS) bt Sergiy Stakhovsky (UKR) 6-7 (3/7), 6-4, 6-2, 6-0
Blaz Rola (SLO) bt Federico Delbonis (ARG) 6-4, 6-2, 7-5
Nick Kyrgios (AUS) bt Benjamin Becker (GER) 6-3, 6-7 (5/7), 6-2, 7-6 (7/2)
Roberto Bautista (ESP) bt Tim Smyczek (USA) 6-2, 6-1, 6-1
Michael Berrer (GER) bt Michael Llodra (FRA) 6-4, 7-5, 6-1
Fernando Verdasco (ESP x31) bt Ze Zhang (CHN) 5-7, 6-3, 6-2, 6-3
Jack Sock (USA) bt Tobias Kamke (GER) 7-6 (7/5), 5-7, 6-2, 6-4
Andreas Seppi (ITA x24) bt Lleyton Hewitt (AUS) 7-6 (7/4), 6-3, 5-7, 5-7, 7-5
Donald Young (USA) bt Robin Haase (NED) 6-7 (4/7), 7-6 (7/2), 6-2, 1-0 ret
Juan Martin Del Potro (ARG x5) bt Rhyne Williams (USA) 6-7 (1/7), 6-3, 6-4, 6-4
Andy Murray (GBR x4) bt Go Soeda (JPN) 6-1, 6-1, 6-3
Vincent Millot (FRA) bt Wayne Odesnik (USA) 7-5, 4-6, 6-7 (4/7), 6-1, 6-3
Feliciano Lopez (ESP x26) bt Somdev Devvarman (IND) 6-4, 6-4, 7-6 (7/2)
Rafael Nadal (ESP x1) bt Bernard Tomic (AUS) 6-4 ret
Thanasi Kokkinakis (AUS) bt Igor Sijsling (NED) 7-6 (7/4), 0-6, 7-6 (7/3), 6-2
Gael Monfils (FRA x25) bt Ryan Harrison (USA) 6-4, 6-4, 6-4
Stephane Robert (FRA) bt Aljaz Bedene (SLO) 7-6 (7/3), 6-3, 6-0
Thomaz Belluci (BRA) bt Julian Reister (GER) 4-6, 6-3, 7-6 (7/5) ret
Women's singles:
First round:Alize Cornet (FRA x25) bt Polona Hercog (SLO) 1-0 ret
Simona Halep (ROU x11) bt Katarzyna Piter (POL) 6-0, 6-1
Caroline Wozniacki (DEN x10) bt Lourdes Dominguez Lino (ESP) 6-0, 6-2
Carla Suarez Navarro (ESP x16) bt Vania King (USA) 6-3, 6-2
Christina McHale (USA) bt Chan Yung-jan (TPE) 7-5, 6-4
Barbora Zahlavova Strycova (CZE) bt Hsieh Su-wei (TPE) 6-1, 4-6, 6-1
Victoria Azarenka (BLR x2) bt Johanna Larsson (SWE) 7-6 (7/2), 6-2
Galina Voskoboeva (KAZ) bt Irina-Camelia Begu (ROU) 7-5, 4-6, 7-5
Dominika Cibulkova (SVK x20) bt Francesca Schiavone (ITA)
Zarina Diyas (KAZ) bt Katerina Siniakov (CZE) 6-2, 6-4,
Camila Giorgi (ITA) bt Storm Sanders (AUS) 4-6, 6-1, 6-4
Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova (RUS x29) bt Teliana Pereira (BRA) 7-6 (9/7), 6-4
Varvara Lepchenko (USA) bt Lesia Tsurenko (UKR) 2-6, 6-3, 6-4
Jelena Jankovic (SRB x8) bt Misaki Doi (JPN) 6-1, 6-2
Mandy Minella (LUX) bt Carina Witthoft (GER) 6-1, 6-4
Stefanie Vogele (SUI) bt Kristina Mladenovic (FRA) 7-5, 7-5
Kurumi Nara (JPN) bt Peng Shuai (CHN) 7-5, 4-6, 6-3
Agnieszka Radwanska (POL x5) bt Yulia Putintseva (KAZ) 6-0, 5-7, 6-2
Olga Govortsova (BLR) bt Duan Ying-Ying (CHN) 6-0, 7-6 (8/6)
Garbine Muguruza (ESP) bt Kaia Kanepi (EST x24) 6-2, 2-6, 6-2
Olivia Rogowska (AUS) bt Mariana Duque (COL) 6-3, 6-3
Ayumi Morita (JPN) bt Nadiya Kichenok (UKR) 6-2, 7-6 (7/5)
Magdalena Rybarikova (SVK x32) bt Andrea Petkovic (GER) 6-2, 6-3
Marina Erakovic (NZL) bt Sorana Cirstea (ROM x21) 6-4, 7-6 (8/6)
Karin Knapp (ITA) bt Paula Ormaechea (ARG) 6-4, 6-2
Anna Schmiedlova (SVK) bt Timea Babos (HUN) 4-6, 6-4, 7-5
Sloane Stephens (USA x13) bt Yaroslava Shvedova (KAZ) 7-6 (7/1), 6-3
Ajla Tomljanovic (CRO) bt Tadeja Majeric (SLO) 3-6, 7-6 (7/1), 6-4
Maria Sharapova (RUS x3) bt Bethanie Mattek-Sands (USA) 6-3, 6-4
Yvonne Meusburger (AUT) bt Chanelle Scheepers (RSA) 7-6 (7/3), 6-4
Bojana Jovanovski (SRB x33) bt Jana Cepelova (SVK) 6-7 (1/7), 6-1, 6-3
Elina Svitolina (UKR) bt Svetlana Kuznetsova (RUS x19) 6-3, 6-3
