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By Chris Oddo | Tuesday, March 17, 2015

 
Rafael Nadal, Indian Wells

After a struggle at the start, Rafael Nadal found his range to ease past Donald Young and into the round of 16.

Photo Source: Clive Brunskill/Getty

It wasn’t a pretty first set for Rafael Nadal. He was broken two times and missed the mark on many occasions, but he rebounded to take the opening set and found his form in the second to ease past American Donald Young, 6-4, 6-2.

The victory sets up a round of 16 clash with Gilles Simon. Nadal has won four straight against Simon and has not lost to the Frenchman since 2008.

“He's healthy now,” Nadal said of Simon. “He's playing well. He's a very dangerous player.”

The Spaniard, playing in his first day match at Indian Wells, reiterated his previous concerns about the tennis balls being used at the event, saying that they were much better several years ago, even though the tournament has used the same brand (Penn).

“For me it was the first day I was able to play a match during the day, so the ball was much weaker,” he said. “With a normal ball during day and night there is differences, but with that ball is completely dramatic how the things change, no? That ball don't have feelings. During the day especially the ball is very, like you are touching a stone. There is no feeling for the ball."

Though the ball is not to Nadal's liking, his form currently is. "I feel confident that I am playing much better than one month and a half ago," he said. " I feel closer to be what I am, what I want to be, and it's a positive victory for me, another victory. Every victory is important victory for me. Already six matches in a row winning, and that's a good number." ”




 

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