The world sports press focused on the Australia Open match between Spaniard Rafael Nadal (ranked No. 1) and Dominican Victor Estrella Burgos (ranked 79th), known in his own right for being the oldest tennis player to make the top rounds. Nadal is recovering from a knee injury. The conclusion: Nadal is “anything but rusty.” As expected, Nadal overwhelmed Estrella, 6-1, 6-1, 6-1, in an hour and 34 minutes.
But the press equally focused on the significance of the top tennis player embracing Estrella known for reaching the ranking of 51st in the world in 2015 for the first time when he was 35, an age when most tennis players are retiring. “The 37-year-old from the Dominican Republic earned a rousing reception when, after a long game, he broke the Nadal serve to avoid losing the second set at love,” reported The Telegraph of London. The Reuters photo of Nadal congratulating Estrella made the rounds of the press on Monday, 15 January 2018. Nadal is shooting for his 17th Grand Slam title.
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16 January 2018
