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By Richard Pagliaro | Monday, May 29, 2017

 
Rafael Nadal

Rafael Nadal launched his quest for a 10th Roland Garros title thrashing Benoit Paire, 6-1, 6-4, 6-1.

Photo credit: Zimbio

Absorbing two sets of pain from Rafael Nadal’s lacerating crosscourt combinations, Benoit Paire finally had the former champion right where he wanted him—stretched out at net.

A lunging Nadal flicked a forehand volley as a charging Paire crashed to the court inside the service box leaving both feet dangling over the net and his hopes of an upset mangled in misery.

More: Djokovic Starts New Era With Decisive Win

That sequence symbolized Nadal’s 6-1, 6-4, 6-1 thrashing of the 45th-ranked Frenchman.

Launching his quest for an unprecedented 10th Roland Garros crown, Nadal displaced Paire with depth and angle, and dusted him with determination.

The nine-time champion raised his Roland Garros record to an eye-popping 73-2.



Playing on the smaller Suzanne Lenglen court, while reigning champion Novak Djokovic was busy dispatching Marcel Granollers in Philippe Chatrier Court next door, Nadal spent much of his one hour, 52-minute victory in control.

Nadal converted eight of 18 break points, tormented Paire’s dubious forehand and, apart from a brief second-set lapse when he lost three games in a row, commanded the center of the court beating the bearded Frenchman for the third time in as many meetings.

Bidding to become the first player in Open Era history to win the same Slam 10 times, Nadal wasted no time cornering Paire and quieting French fans.

It was a perfect storm pitting the fourth seed, a tidal wave of unrelenting intensity against Paire, whose commitment can ebb and flow unpredictably with each passing point.

Nadal is empowered by the rhythm of repetition in rallies, while mercurial shot-maker Paire is a rally killer

Paire’s two-handed backhand can be a versatile and profound shot. However, the Frenchman’s forehand can be flaky. Nadal knows it and battered an error from that wing for double break point.

Racing to his right, Nadal was on the stretch when he bolted a backhand pass down the line, breaking for 3-1.

Quickly consolidating, Nadal snatched a 4-1 lead just 17 minutes into the match.

A flailing forehand from Paire fell wide as Nadal banged out another break.

The fourth seed swept through the 25 minute opener winning 11 of 12 first-serve points and bullying Paire into the corners.

Dropping serve to start the second set, Paire caught fire and briefly ignited the crowd breaking the 30-year-old Spaniard twice in a three-game spurt for 3-1.

Sustaining that roll proved to be problematic. Paire’s compulsion for playing the drop shot can produce periods of magical and maddening play. If he misses a dropper, he can be obsessive in his quest to pull another off.

A pair of missed drop shots and wayward forehand saw the Frenchman drop serve in the fifth game.

Penetrating the court with the depth and spin of his topspin drives, Nadal curled a heavy forehand winner down the line stamping a love hold for 3-all. Navigating a demanding seventh game, Paire delivered some timely forehands capping a determined hold.

Gliding forward, Paire pumped a two-handed backhand swing volley into the corner to earn a second break point.

Racing forward to retrieve a drop shot, Nadal showed his strength and slick racquet skills snapping off an exquisite high backhand volley to erase it.

That athletic burst was crucial carrying Nadal through a determined hold for 4-all.

A rattled Paire went off the grid in the ensuing game with a pair of ill-timed drop shots, including one looper that landed near the sidelines. Poor shot selection dug Paire into a triple break point hole. Nadal buried him twisting a forehand strike down the line breaking for 5-4.

Pausing as fans jeered and whistled a woman who was in no hurry to find a seat, Nadal streamed though the 10th game coaxing an errant backhand return to build a two-set lead after 79 minutes.

Successive forehand errors saw the 28-year-old Frenchman surrender serve to start the third set.




Sprinting up quickly to a back-spinning drop volley, Nadal pasted his two-hander down the line breaking again for 4-1.

By the final game, Paire was reduced to attempting to play the zany scrambling tweener around the net post. Still, he saved two match points.

An awkward armed forehand sailed giving Nadal a third match point. The nine-time champion tomahawked an overhead providing an exclamation point ending to a commanding opening match.

Nadal, who raised his 2017 clay-court record to an ATP-best 18-1, will face flat-hitting Dutchman Robin Haase for a third-round spot.

 

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