Publications
Partners
New York - World number one Rafael Nadal made a powerful start in his determined bid to complete a career grand slam by winning a 7-6 7-6 6-3 slugfest against Russian Teymuraz Gabashvili at the US Open on Tuesday.
Showing more power than ever in his serve and looking comfortable on the fast Arthur Ashe centre-court, the 24-year-old Spaniard claimed the first two tiebreaks by 7-4.
Top seed Nadal, who topped 130mph (210km/h) on his fastest serve, registered the first service break of the match when the 93rd-ranked Gabashvili netted an easy forehand in the seventh game.
Nadal then closed out the match with another break.
"My serve tonight worked well," said the eight-times grand slam winner, who needs a US Open title to complete a career grand slam. "Hopefully it will continue like this.
"My serve is not my best shot but I always try hard to keep improving and that's what I'm working on all the time."
Nadal, decked out in black with electric green shoes and accents on his shirt, served up seven aces and pounded in 67 percent of his first serves in a match that lasted nearly three hours.
"I know if I want to have chances to win here ... I need to serve really, really well, so that's one of the things I am most focused on," said Nadal, winner of five French Opens, two Wimbledons and one Australian Open.
Nadal, winner of this year's French and Wimbledon championships, will next meet Denis Istomin of Uzbekistan, a straight sets winner over Maximo Gonzalez of Argentina.
Collated results at the US Open on Tuesday:
Men
1st round
Daniel Gimeno (ESP) bt Jarkko Nieminen (FIN) 7-6 (7/1), 6-4, 6-3
Pablo Cuevas (URU) bt Julio Silva (BRA) 7-6 (7/0), 6-1, 6-2
Feliciano Lopez (ESP x23) bt Santiago Giraldo (COL) 6-4, 6-4, 6-4
Jeremy Chardy (FRA) bt Ernests Gulbis (LAT x24) 6-2, 7-6 (7/1), 6-4
Philipp Petzschner (GER) bt Dusan Lojda (CZE) 6-3, 6-1, 6-1
Arnaud Clement (FRA) bt Marcos Baghdatis (CYP x16) 6-3, 2-6, 1-6, 6-4, 7-5
Benoit Paire (FRA) bt Rainer Schuttler (GER) 6-3, 6-3, 4-6, 3-6, 7-6 (7/2)
Eduardo Schwank (ARG) bt Robby Ginepri (USA) 6-4, 7-6 (7/3), 4-6, 6-3
Mardy Fish (USA x19) bt Jan Hajek (CZE) 6-0, 3-6, 4-6, 6-0, 6-1
Tommy Robredo (ESP) bt Lukas Rosol (CZE) 6-4, 6-3, 6-1
Peter Polansky (CAN) bt Juan Monaco (ARG x30) 6-2, 7-6 (7/5), 6-3
Novak Djokovic (SRB x3) bt Viktor Troicki (SRB) 6-3, 3-6, 2-6, 7-5, 6-3
James Blake (USA) bt Kristof Vliegen (BEL) 6-3, 6-2, 6-4
David Ferrer (ESP x10) bt Alexandr Dolgopolov (UKR) 6-2, 6-2, 6-3
Julien Benneteau (FRA) bt Radek Stepanek (CZE x28) 6-4, 6-2, 4-6, 6-4
Adrian Mannarino (FRA) bt Pere Riba (ESP) 3-6, 6-1, 6-4, 4-6, 7-6 (7/1)
Benjamin Becker (GER) bt Daniel Brands (GER) 7-6 (7/1), 7-6 (7/5), 6-4
Fernando Verdasco (ESP x8) bt Fabio Fognini (ITA) 1-6, 7-5, 6-1, 4-6, 6-3
Florent Serra (FRA) bt Florian Mayer (GER) 7-5, 6-2, 6-0
Denis Istomin (UZB) bt Maximo Gonzalez (ARG) 7-5, 7-5, 6-1
David Nalbandian (ARG x31) bt Rik de Voest (RSA) 7-6 (7/4), 3-6, 6-4, 6-7 (6/8), 6-4
Rafael Nadal (ESP x1) bt Teymuraz Gabashvili (RUS) 7-6 (7/4), 7-6 (7/4), 6-3
Women
1st round:
Patty Schnyder (SUI) bt Kirsten Flipkens (BEL) 6-1, 6-3
Sofia Arvidsson (SWE) bt Sorana Cirstea (ROM) 6-1, 6-2
Mirjana Lucic (CRO) bt Alicia Molik (AUS) 7-6 (7/5), 6-1
Alexandra Dulgheru (ROM x25) bt Julie Coin (FRA) 6-3, 6-1
Anastasija Sevastova (LAT) bt Regina Kulikova (RUS) 6-0, 2-0, retired, lower back
Maria Jose Martinez Sanchez (ESP x22) bt Jamie Hampton (USA) 6-4, 3-6, 6-0
Aravane Rezai (FRA x18) bt Magdalena Rybarikova (SVK) 7-6 (7/5), 7-6 (9/7)
Svetlana Kuznetsova (RUS x11) bt Kimiko Date Krumm (JPN) 6-2, 4-6, 6-1
Jelena Jankovic (SRB x4) bt Simona Halep (ROM) 6-4, 4-6, 7-5
Beatrice Capra (USA) bt Karolina Sprem (CRO) 6-1, 6-3
Chan Yung-Jan (TPE) bt Anne Keothavong (GBR) 2-6, 6-1, 6-1
Yanina Wickmayer (BEL x15) bt Alla Kudryavtseva (RUS) 6-1, 6-2
Agnieszka Radwanska (POL x9) bt Arantxa Parra Santonja (ESP) 6-4, 6-3
Julia Goerges (GER) bt Romina Oprandi (ITA) 6-3, 6-4
Yvonne Meusburger (AUT) bt Jill Craybas (USA) 3-6, 7-5, 6-0
Kateryna Bondarenko (UKR) bt Li Na (CHN x8) 2-6, 6-4, 6-2
Peng Shuai (CHN) bt Shelby Rogers (USA) 6-7 (5/7), 7-6 (7/3), 6-3
Iveta Benesova (CZE) bt Nuria Llagostera Vives (ESP) 6-3, 7-6 (8/6)
Urszula Radwanska (POL) bt Anna Chakvetadze (RUS) 6-3, 6-3
Tamira Paszek (AUT) bt Lucie Safarova (CZE x26) 2-6, 7-5, 6-2
Maria Kirilenko (RUS x23) bt Barbora Zahlavova Strycova (CZE) 7-5, 6-4
Dominika Cibulkova (SVK) bt Stefanie Voegele (SUI) 6-2, 4-6, 7-5
Chang Kai-Chen (TPE) bt Carla Suarez Navarro (ESP) 6-2, 6-4
Lourdes Dominguez Lino (ESP) bt Yaroslava Shvedova (KAZ x30) 6-4, 3-6, 6-2
Maria Sharapova (RUS x14) bt Jarmila Groth (AUS) 4-6, 6-3, 6-1
Vera Zvonareva (RUS x7) bt Zuzana Kucova (SVK) 6-2, 6-1
Akgul Amanmuradova (UZB) bt Chanelle Scheepers (RSA) 6-3, 6-4
Kaia Kanepi (EST x31) bt Alize Cornet (FRA) 3-6, 6-1, 6-0
Bethanie Mattek-Sands (USA) bt Anabel Medina Garrigues (ESP) 4-6, 6-4, 6-1
Sabine Lisicki (GER) bt Coco Vandeweghe (USA) 6-1, 6-0
Andrea Petkovic (GER) bt Nadia Petrova (RUS x17) 6-2, 4-6, 7-6 (7/4)
Caroline Wozniacki (DEN x1) bt Chelsey Gullickson (USA) 6-1, 6-1
