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Toronto (Canada) (AFP)
Russian top seed Daniil Medvedev confirmed his mark in the Toronto Masters 1000 on Tuesday by defeating Kazakhstan’s Alexander Bublik, while Spaniard Rafael Nadal announced his retirement a day after his debut due to a left foot injury.
Medvedev imposed his Class 1 class by coming back from behind to beat Bublik in three sets of 4-6, 6-3, 6-4, in exactly two hours in a second-round match.
The Russian, second in the ATP rankings, will be measured in the round of 16 with the duel winner between young Italian Yannick Sener (16th) and Australia’s James Duckworth.
The 19-year-old Italian won the ATP tournament in Washington last week, defeating American Mackenzie McDonald in the final 7-5, 4-6, 7-5.
Sinner, the highest-ranked ATP Under-20 player, earned his third career title.
At the end of the afternoon session, Spaniard Nadal, fourth in the ATP rankings, gave up playing the tournament one day after making his debut due to a chronic injury to his left foot pulled by Roland Garros.
Organizers said the second seed and five-time champion in Toronto would be replaced by compatriot Feliciano Lopez.
Nadal did not participate in Wimbledon or the Tokyo Olympics, and his last match was in the third round of the Washington Championships last week when he lost to South African Lloyd Harris.
“I’ve had this problem for two months,” Nadal, 35, said on social media. “Of course it’s not a problem after all the success (five titles) I’ve had here in Canada.”
“I need to go back (to Mallorca) and try to find a way to be better again. The most important thing is to enjoy playing tennis. With this pain, I can’t enjoy myself.”
The prospect of Nadal running in the Cincinnati Masters 1000 next week is almost out of the question, while his participation in the US Open, which begins in New York on August 30, is anyone’s guess.
And American John Isner had previously eliminated Spaniard Alejandro Davidovic in the first round 6-4 6-1 in one hour and five minutes of play thanks to 19 aces.
The American is measured in the second round against Chilean 13th seed Christian Garin.
In a very long match, Greek third seed Stefanos Tsitsipas beat Frenchman Ugo Humbert 6-3, 6-7 (13/15), 6-1.
Tuesday’s results at the Toronto Masters 1000:
– first round
Nikoloz Basilashvili (Geo) beat Jenson Broxby (US) 2-6, 6-0, 6-4.
Kei Nishikori (Japan) and Miomir Kekmanovich (SRB) 6-4, 6-7 (5/7), 6-2
John Isner (US) A Alejandro Davidovic (Spain) 6-4, 6-1
Dusan Lagović (Real Madrid) and Emil Rossovoori (Finland) 3-6, 6-3, 6-3
Karen Khachanov (Russia) A Cameron Norie (Britain) 6-4, 5-7, 6-4
Francis Tiafoe (US) Yoshihito Nishioka (Japan) 6-4, 6-3
Benoît Paire (FRA) a Mackenzie McDonald (USA) 6-3, 6-4
The second round
Daniil Medvedev (Russia / No. 1) A Alexander Bublik (Kazakhstan) 4-6, 6-3, 6-4
Casper Rudd (NOR/N.6) A Marin Cilic (CRO) 6-3, 3-6, 6-3
Stefanos Tsitsipas (GRE/N.3) to Ugo Humbert (France) 6-3, 6-7 (13/15), 6-1
© 2021 AFP
