Rafael Nadal rolls in Acapulco for best career start
Rafael Nadal achieved his best start to an ATP Tour season on Tuesday, improving to 12-0 this year by defeating Stefan Kozlov to reach the Mexican Open quarter-finals.
"It's his best start to a season ever"@RafaelNadal achieves his 12th consecutive win after defeating Stefan Kozlov 6-0, 6-3 in Acapulco🔥@AbiertoTelcel | #AMT2022 pic.twitter.com/1gA80Zf0Vc
— ATP Tour (@atptour) February 24, 2022
The 35-year-old Spanish left-hander eliminated the US lucky loser 6-0, 6-3, advancing to a Thursday matchup against 39th-ranked American Tommy Paul, whom he has never played before.
The victory kept Nadal unbeaten over a dozen matches in 2022, his best career start to any year, surpassing the 11-0 run in 2014 that ended with a loss to Swiss Stan Wawrinka in the Australian Open final.
.@RafaelNadal liga 1⃣2⃣ victorias al vencer en sets consecutivos (6-0, 6-3) a @stefankozlov . 🇪🇸👏#AMT2022 | #NewBeginnings pic.twitter.com/s8IMtAj54h
— Abierto Mexicano (@AbiertoTelcel) February 24, 2022
Nadal won his men’s record 21st Grand Slam title at last month’s Australian Open, breaking the career mark of 20 Slam crowns he had shared with Novak Djokovic and Roger Federer.
World number five Nadal, seeking his 91st career ATP title and fourth Acapulco crown, also won a warm-up tournament last month in Melbourne.
Reigning US Open champion Daniil Medvedev, whom Nadal rallied past in five sets in the Australian Open final, beat Spain’s 68th-ranked Pablo Andujar 6-1, 6-2 to continue his quest for the world number one ranking.
That little smile when you win a match with an ace 😌 @DaniilMedwed @AbiertoTelcel | #AMT2022 pic.twitter.com/qjffV9kn0j
— ATP Tour (@atptour) February 24, 2022
If Medvedev wins the Acapulco title, he is assured of overtaking Djokovic atop the rankings no matter how the Serbian star fares this week at Dubai.
Medvedev would become the 27th player to reach world number one and only the third Russian, joining Yevgeny Kafelnikov (1999) and Marat Safin (2000-01).
The last player outside of Djokovic, Nadal, Federer and Britain’s Andy Murray to sit atop the rankings was American Andy Roddick in February 2004.