The Spanish tennis star Rafael Nadal marched his way to the fourth round of the US Open after he eased past his South Korean opponent Hyeon Chung 6-3, 6-4 and 6-2, on Saturday.
Rafael Nadal Sets Up 4th Round Clash To Face Marin Cilic
The three-time US Open Champion was in a good physical state as he was given a walkover after his scheduled opponent, Thanasi Kokkinakis, took his name out of the competition owing to a shoulder injury in the second round.
On the other hand, Chung was coming into this encounter on the back of a five-set hard-fought win against Fernando Verdasco in a match which had lasted over three hours and 20 minutes.
However, Nadal won the first set effortlessly in just 41 minutes and although his 23-year-old Korean opponent did improve in the second and the third set, Nadal overwhelmed him with his superb serves and flawless shot-making, on Saturday.
Wishing he had been pushed harder as he charges after a 19th Grand Slam title, Nadal said, “I didn’t face a breakpoint. That’s a positive thing. And the best thing is without playing great, playing a normal match, I was able to have a very comfortable score. That means a lot of things, positive ones. Now is the moment to push, to take a step forward if I want to give me a chance to fight for the important things. That’s what I’m going to try.”
Meanwhile, Nadal said that the key was to toppling an opponent like Cilic was holding serve and making the most of his opportunities when receiving. He said, “Chances are not a lot, so you need to be ready to expect a very tough one. I need to be focused on my serve, as always. I need to be ready to accept the challenge that brings the competition in days like these ones. And I hope to be ready to play my highest level because that’s what I am going to need.”
