Nadal Survives an Early Scare in First Round of Roland Garros

By hugree on May 27th, 2013

Rafael Nadal survived an early scare Monday at the French Open and successfully began his bid for an eighth title at Roland Garros by rallying past Daniel Brands of Germany, 4-6, 7-6 (4), 6-4, 6-3. Nadal, who had lost only 14 sets in 53 previous matches at the French Open, fell behind when he was broken in the ninth game and was on the verge of digging a deeper hole in the red clay. He trailed 3-0 in the tiebreaker, then summoned his best shot-making to salvage the set and soon was in control against the dangerous Brands. “He was playing unbelievable,” Nadal said. “I tried to find my game and resist. He played a fantastic match and put me in a tricky situation.” Nadal, who won a record seventh French Open title last year, improved to 53-1 at Roland Garros. Continue reading for Round 1 gallery. #VAM8S!