French Open 2022, 2nd round, Wednesday, 25.05.2022
It’s his tournament, his record and his great desire to follow it up with the next title. Rafael Nadal is, of course, once again among the top favourites at the 2022 French Open.
The competition this year is fierce, will it be enough despite health problems? In the 2nd round he will meet a local hero. Read my Moutet Nadal tip to find out why I expect a quicker decision here
13 trophies at one and the same Grand Slam, 21 titles in total and despite slight “signs of age” still the big name in Paris: The spectators also come to see Rafael Nadal win again.
The Spaniard, as his fans know, does not travel to the French capital in absolute top form. He did beat John Isner in Rome, but then lost in three sets to Denis Shapovalov.
Although he is not completely fit, his debut at Roland Garros was promising. He got off to a commanding start with an easy 6-2, 6-2, 6-2 win over Jordan Thompson, conceding just one break and not even having to push his limits.
Indian Wells, Madrid and Rome, Nadal failed three times in a row in the decisive moment. But of course he had much stronger opponents than Corentin Moutet is considered to be.
Nadal has never played the Frenchman, and for his opponent, reaching the 2nd round in Paris is a great success anyway. The world number 139 was allowed to start right away in the main draw at his home Grand Slam.
Three years ago, he had already made it to the 3rd round once, now he prevented a third consecutive elimination at the start. His opponent in Round 1 was no stranger.
Stan Wawrinka faced Moutet, the first set went clearly to the veteran from Switzerland with 6-2. But then the 23-year-old turned up the heat, taking a 6-3, 7-6, 6-3 and advancing to the next round to acclaim.
In the last few months, Moutet played almost exclusively in Challenger tournaments, avoiding the really strong opponents. Since Adeleide, the preparatory tournament for the Australian Open, he has never won more than two matches per event.
Although the Frenchman was often among the top-seeded players at the recent Challengers, he could hardly assert himself. With performances like that, how is he supposed to stand a chance against Rafael Nadal, the King of Paris?
My Moutet Nadal Tip
The longer the tournament goes on, the fitter Rafael Nadal wants to get. At the French Open, the record champion can go beyond his health limits. Of course, the 2nd round should not cost him any unnecessary energy.
His opening match was a commanding one, but with Corentin Moutet he won’t be facing an opponent who is too demanding.
My tip is therefore: We see less than 29.5 games!
