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Australian Open champion Rafael Nadal began his quest for a fourth title at the Abierto Mexicano Telcel with a commanding 6-3, 6-2 win over Denis Kudla in Acapulco, Mexico on Tuesday.
World No. 100 Kudla was a lucky loser, replacing Reilly Opelka, who withdrew right before the start of the tournament.
Nadal will now face the 130th-ranked Stefan Kozlov in the second round.
The 21-time Grand Slam champion was strong on both service and returns from start to finish in his opener. Nadal powered eight aces past Kudla, breaking the American thrice, and didn't face a break point on his own serve.
With this win, the Spaniard has extended his winning streak this season to 11, having won titles at the Melbourne Summer Set 1 and the Australian Open.
Where is Rafael Nadal playing?
The Spaniard is currently playing at the Abierto Mexicano Telcel in Acapulco, Mexico, which is an outdoor hardcourt tournament at the ATP 500 level. Nadal is a three-time champion at the event, having lifted the trophy in 2005, 2013 and 2020. He also finished as the runner-up to Sam Querrey in 2017.
Who is Rafael Nadal playing against?
Rafael Nadal's next opponent, Stefan Kozlov, is another lucky loser in this tournament. But the story of how he got his place in the main draw is interesting.
Having bowed out in the qualifiers, the 24-year-old spent Monday at the sea, where he had an unfortunate incident. His jet ski capsized and he had to be rescued after being stranded for 30 minutes.
Kozlov's evening, however, had a delightful surprise in store for him. He was involved in a practice set with none other than Nadal when his racquet string broke. Kozlov went on to find a flurry of messages on his phone, asking him to take the place of Maxime Cressy, who had to opt out of the tournament.
Within a few minutes, he found himself wearing borrowed clothes to face former ATP Finals champion Grigor Dimitrov in an unexpected first-round match. The American put up a herculean effort, beating severe cramps to secure an improbable 7-6 (8), 5-7, 6-3 win that took three hours and 21 minutes.
Amazingly, Kozlov's next opponent turned out to be Rafael Nadal, the player he practiced with previously.
Rafael Nadal vs Stefan Kozlov match schedule
The 21-time Grand Slam champion's match against Kozlov is scheduled to start not before 8 pm local time on February 23. It is the second match of the day in Estadio (Center Court) at Abierto Mexicano Telcel.
Match timing: Not before 8 pm local time/ 2 am GMT/ 9 pm EST/ 7.30 am IST.
Date: 24 February 2022 (UK and India), 23 February 2022 (USA, Canada and Mexico).
Rafael Nadal vs Stefan Kozlov streaming details
Viewers from the following countries can catch all the action live on the following channels and sites:
USA: For viewers in the USA, the Tennis Channel will broadcast all the matches.
UK: UK viewers can follow the action on Amazon Prime.
Canada: Fans in Canada can watch the matches on TSN.
Matches will also be streamed on Tennis TV.
What is the foot injury that has troubled Rafael Nadal over the years? Check here
