Devastating Nadal fires a title warning
RAFAEL NADAL turned on the style to fire a title warning to his rivals last night after easing into the second round of the US Open at Flushing Meadows.
The 23-year-old has sat out much of the summer with a knee injury and has slipped to No3 in the world rankings with Roger Federer and Andy Murray enjoying success in his absence.
Despite winning six Grand Slams, Nadal has never even reached the final at New York and faces a potential showdown with new world No2 Murray in the semi-finals. But the Spaniard showed a devastating return to form with a 6-2, 6-2, 6-3 demolition of Frenchman Richard Gasquet in just one hour 40 minutes to earn a second round clash with Nicolas Kiefer, of Germany.
But while Nadal was planning his assault on a first New York title, 2000 champion Marat Safin was bidding a sad farewell to his Grand Slam career after bowing out with a whimper to Austrian Jurgen Melzer, going down 1-6, 6-4, 6-3, 6-4.
Another former Grand Slam champion to crash out was former Australian Open and Wimbledon winner, Amelie Mauresmo, who fired down 31 unforced errors on her way to a disappointing 6-4, 6-0 defeat by unseeded Canadian Aleksandra Wozniak.
Meanwhile, the Kim Clijsters comeback gathered further momentum after the Belgian former world No1 battled back from a set down to beat 14th seed Marion Bartoli 5-7, 6-1, 6-2.
Unseeded Clijsters, playing her first Grand Slam since coming out of her two-year retirement, plays compatriot Kirsten Flipkens next and could meet No3 seed Venus Williams in the fourth round after she cruised past fellow American Bethanie Mattek-Sands 6-4, 6-2.