Nadal vs Cerundolo - LIVE!
Almost three years since he last took to Centre Court, Rafael Nadal returned to get his Wimbledon campaign off to a successful start.
It was a semi-final defeat to Roger Federer that day and although a 6-4 6-3 3-6 6-4 win over Francisco Cerundolo began as a somewhat more low-key affair, the Spaniard was dragged into a titanic tussle.
Two exhibition matches at the Hurlingham Club were the extent of Nadal’s Wimbledon preparations, with nerve-numbing treatment on a chronic foot injury the focus instead following a 14th French Open success.
It’s a problem that has plagued the second seed for much of 2022, and long before that too, yet Nadal arrived at the All England Club on course for a Calendar Slam, after going all the way in Melbourne and Paris. The third leg of that bid is up and running, though it was far from straight-forward for the Spaniard.