Australian Open 2022: Rafa Nadal launches Grand Slam record bid by steamrolling Marcos Giron

Rafa Nadal launched his bid for a record 21st Grand Slam title with a 6-1, 6-4, 6-2 trouncing of American Marcos Giron on Monday to reach the second round of the Australian Open.

With Djokovic sent packing by Australian authorities and Roger Federer absent, Nadal can snatch the men’s all-time Slam record outright by claiming the title at Melbourne Park.

The only former champion left in the draw, the Spanish great started superbly at a sunbathed Rod Laver Arena, breaking world number 66 Giron five times for the match and thrashing 34 winners past the outclassed American.

Sixth seed Nadal will face the winner of wildcard Thanasi Kokkinakis and qualifier Yannick Hanfmann for a place in the third round.

Belinda Bencic advances but says still not 100 per cent after COVID-19
Belinda Bencic moved into the Australian Open second round on Monday with a 6-4, 6-3 win over France’s Kristina Mladenovic but the Olympic champion said she is still not at her best after testing positive for COVID-19 last month. The 24-year-old, who had ‘severe’ symptoms, was among a number of players who returned positive tests after playing in an exhibition event in Abu Dhabi.

“I don’t think I played my best tennis. I’m not quite there yet, but I’m very happy with how I managed to kind of stay in the match in the important moments,” the world number 22 said.

“I definitely think with COVID, which I had over Christmas, it didn’t help much, so I’m still looking for this kind of confidence … on the court.”

The Swiss player said she also struggled after her Sydney Tennis Classic quarter-final loss to eventual winner Paula Badosa last week. “My pulse was getting very up in the practices and even after Sydney, after the Badosa match, I was very, very tired … I think it’s getting better day by day,” she added.

Bencic, who next faces Melbourne Summer Set champion Amanda Anisimova, added that her slow recovery had impacted her preparations for the opening Grand Slam of the year. “Definitely for my tennis, it’s more the thing that I didn’t practice for 14 days in the middle of the preseason … my fitness definitely was very off, and I had to take it very slow,” she said.

“Sydney helped me a lot. I’m happy I played three matches there, I played better than I expected … I was a little bit concerned if I could play Sydney. I’m not too worried about this, but it`s just the start of the season and a little bit of a deficit in the practice.”