MADRID, Jan. 2 (.) –
The Spanish tennis player Rafa Nadal has started the year with a defeat against the Australian Alex de Miñaur (3-6, 6-1, 7-5), the first of his career against the oceanic player, in Group D of the United Cup, the new mixed tournament of the ATP and the WTA and in which Spain had already been eliminated on Sunday, while Nuria Párrizas has surpassed Madison Inglis (6-1, 6-3).
The Spaniard, current number two in the world, won the first set in the duel at the Ken Rosewall Arena in Sydney against the number 24 in the ATP ranking despite losing his service in the fifth game, after winning four consecutive games.
However, De Miñaur reacted after a new break from Nadal at the beginning of the second set and took control of the match, with depth in his returns and breaking his rival’s serve up to three times.
Already in the third set, after both players got ‘breaks’ in the early stages, it was again the oceanic tennis player who found a new break in the eleventh game, ending the contest in two hours and 44 minutes and cutting in history with Manacor (1-3).
For her part, Nuria Párrizas equalized the tie against the ‘Aussie’ team, beating Madison Inglis (6-1, 6-3) in one hour and 26 minutes of play. The woman from Granada, number 70 in the WTA ranking, kept her serve intact and used three breaks in the first set and one in the second to win.
The team led by Marc López will try to say goodbye to the competition with a win against the host nation. This Tuesday it will be the turn of Paula Badosa, who will face Zoe Hives, and Pablo Carreño, who will face Jason Kubler, to try to complete the objective in the individual matches prior to the mixed doubles. Neither Spain nor Australia can qualify for the zone finals after losing both to Great Britain.
