Rafael Nadal won his opening match at the ATP Masters 1000 in Paris against South Korean Hyeon Chung in two sets 7:5 6:3. Nadal will end the tennis year 2017 as the world number one.
“I’m really happy,”Nadal said after his victory over Chung,”It was an incredible year for me. A year ago, I would never have dreamed of becoming number one again, which means a lot to me.” But Nadal shoved a little challenge afterwards:”The year is not over yet.”
His victory in the second round of the last Masters tournament of the year was fiercely contested, at least in the first set. Nadal already led 5-2 and served to the set, but had to accept a rebreak and the equalization to 5-5. figly later, however, he exploited the slight weaknesses of his Korean opponent and won the first set 7-5.
In the second set Chung was able to fend off four break points in the fourth game, but Nadal managed to break 4-3. After one hour and 49 minutes, the Mallorcan’s victory was perfect. Nadal will now face Uruguay’s Pablo Cuevas in the round of sixteen.
Nadal thus becomes the oldest number one in tennis at the turn of the year, and the first number over 30. After 2008,2010 and 2013, the Spaniard finishes the year of the tennis throne for the fourth time.