ROME (AP) — Hindi man lamang nadungisan ang medyas ni Rafael Nadal para mahila ang winning streak ngayong season sa 16.
Umusad sa second round ang Spanish superstar nang mag-retired ang karibal na si Nicolas Almagro sa first set bunsod ng injury sa first round ng Italian Open nitong Miyerkules (Huwebes sa Manila).
Sa women’s class, pinatalsik sa Foro Italico ni Estonian qualifier Anett Kontaveit si top-ranked Angelique Kerber, 6-4, 6-0.
Sinamahan ni Kerber si Andy Murray, ang top-ranked men’s player, sa sidelines matapos ang kabiguan ding nalasap ni Murray sa kamay ni Fabio Fognini.
Goodbye PBA? John Amores, tinanggalan na ng professional license!
“Everybody knows I’m not a clay-court specialist,” pahayag ni Kerber. “I was not playing good last year as well. I had a great year, but I mean, these few weeks I was not playing good. And this year it’s the same.”
Ginapi naman ni Olympic silver medalist Juan Martin del Potro si British player Kyle Edmund, 7-5, 6-4; nagwagi si fifth-seeded Milos Raonic kay Germany veteran Tommy Haas 6-4, 6-3; at umabante ang 16th-seeded na si Alexander Zverev nang patalsikin si Viktor Troicki, 6-3, 6-4.
Buhay din ang kampanya ni Venus Williams, ang 1999 champion dito, nang manaig kay Lesia Tsurenko, 6-4, 6-3.
Sunod na makakaharap ni Nadal si 13th-seeded Jack Sock, namayani kontra Jiri Vesely 6-4, 3-6, 7-6 (1).
Makakaharap naman ni del Potro si seventh-seeded Kei Nishikori, nagwagi kay David Ferrer, 7-5, 6-2.
Umusad din sina second-seeded Karolina Pliskova, nanaig kay Lauren Davis ng United States, 6-1, 6-1,; sixth-seeded Simona Halep, nakalusot kay Laura Siegemund ng Germany 6-4, 6-4.
Pinabagsak ni eight-seeded Elina Svitolina si Alize Cornet ng France. 6-4, 7-6 (11), at nagwagi ang 15th-seeded na si Kiki Bertens kay American qualifier CiCi Bellis 6-4, 6-0.
