ACAPULCO:
Former world number one Rafael Nadal began his quest for a 38th
clay-court title, dominating Diego Sebastian Schwartzman 6-2, 6-2 in his
opening-round match at the ATP Tour's Acapulco event Tuesday.
Nadal, who recently returned to the court after a seven-month injury layoff, needed just 68 minutes to oust Schwartzman, who at 20 was the youngest player in the men's draw.
The 11-time Grand Slam champion Nadal, advances to the second round where he will face his second consecutive Argentinean qualifier, 27-year-old Martin Alund.
Nadal improved to 34-1 on clay against players ranked outside the top 100 as he makes his first appearance in Acapulco since claiming the title eight years ago. Schwartzman is ranked 157th in the world.
Nadal was greeted by loud cheers from the sold-out crowd. "Playing in a stadium like this, with all seats occupied is an honour," he said. "I will fight even harder to move forward."
Nadal was off for seven months with persistent knee problems and has been testing his fitness in clay tournaments this month before he switches to hardcourt events.
He finished with two aces and one double fault and won 70 percent of his first-serve points.
Schwartzman, who was facing a top 10 player for the first time in his career, won just 28 percent of his second-serve points and had his serve broken five times.
Nadal won his 37th clay-court title earlier this month in Sao Paulo, Brazil, beating David Nalbandian in the final.
On Tuesday, a Spanish newspaper reported that world number five Nadal would miss the upcoming ATP World Tour Masters Series events in Indian Wells, California and Miami, Florida.
Nadal's camp and tournament organisers dismissed the report. Nadal is also expected to play a Masters Series event in Monaco in April and compete in Madrid and Rome before the French Open begins at Roland Garros in Paris on May 26. (AFP) - See more at: http://www.geo.tv/GeoDetail.aspx?ID=89949#sthash.Cv72tXGg.dpuf
Nadal, who recently returned to the court after a seven-month injury layoff, needed just 68 minutes to oust Schwartzman, who at 20 was the youngest player in the men's draw.
The 11-time Grand Slam champion Nadal, advances to the second round where he will face his second consecutive Argentinean qualifier, 27-year-old Martin Alund.
Nadal improved to 34-1 on clay against players ranked outside the top 100 as he makes his first appearance in Acapulco since claiming the title eight years ago. Schwartzman is ranked 157th in the world.
Nadal was greeted by loud cheers from the sold-out crowd. "Playing in a stadium like this, with all seats occupied is an honour," he said. "I will fight even harder to move forward."
Nadal was off for seven months with persistent knee problems and has been testing his fitness in clay tournaments this month before he switches to hardcourt events.
He finished with two aces and one double fault and won 70 percent of his first-serve points.
Schwartzman, who was facing a top 10 player for the first time in his career, won just 28 percent of his second-serve points and had his serve broken five times.
Nadal won his 37th clay-court title earlier this month in Sao Paulo, Brazil, beating David Nalbandian in the final.
On Tuesday, a Spanish newspaper reported that world number five Nadal would miss the upcoming ATP World Tour Masters Series events in Indian Wells, California and Miami, Florida.
Nadal's camp and tournament organisers dismissed the report. Nadal is also expected to play a Masters Series event in Monaco in April and compete in Madrid and Rome before the French Open begins at Roland Garros in Paris on May 26. (AFP) - See more at: http://www.geo.tv/GeoDetail.aspx?ID=89949#sthash.Cv72tXGg.dpuf
ACAPULCO:
Former world number one Rafael Nadal began his quest for a 38th
clay-court title, dominating Diego Sebastian Schwartzman 6-2, 6-2 in his
opening-round match at the ATP Tour's Acapulco event Tuesday.
Nadal, who recently returned to the court after a seven-month injury layoff, needed just 68 minutes to oust Schwartzman, who at 20 was the youngest player in the men's draw.
The 11-time Grand Slam champion Nadal, advances to the second round where he will face his second consecutive Argentinean qualifier, 27-year-old Martin Alund.
Nadal improved to 34-1 on clay against players ranked outside the top 100 as he makes his first appearance in Acapulco since claiming the title eight years ago. Schwartzman is ranked 157th in the world.
Nadal was greeted by loud cheers from the sold-out crowd. "Playing in a stadium like this, with all seats occupied is an honour," he said. "I will fight even harder to move forward."
Nadal was off for seven months with persistent knee problems and has been testing his fitness in clay tournaments this month before he switches to hardcourt events.
He finished with two aces and one double fault and won 70 percent of his first-serve points.
Schwartzman, who was facing a top 10 player for the first time in his career, won just 28 percent of his second-serve points and had his serve broken five times.
Nadal won his 37th clay-court title earlier this month in Sao Paulo, Brazil, beating David Nalbandian in the final.
On Tuesday, a Spanish newspaper reported that world number five Nadal would miss the upcoming ATP World Tour Masters Series events in Indian Wells, California and Miami, Florida.
Nadal's camp and tournament organisers dismissed the report. Nadal is also expected to play a Masters Series event in Monaco in April and compete in Madrid and Rome before the French Open begins at Roland Garros in Paris on May 26. (AFP) - See more at: http://www.geo.tv/GeoDetail.aspx?ID=89949#sthash.Cv72tXGg.dpuf
Nadal, who recently returned to the court after a seven-month injury layoff, needed just 68 minutes to oust Schwartzman, who at 20 was the youngest player in the men's draw.
The 11-time Grand Slam champion Nadal, advances to the second round where he will face his second consecutive Argentinean qualifier, 27-year-old Martin Alund.
Nadal improved to 34-1 on clay against players ranked outside the top 100 as he makes his first appearance in Acapulco since claiming the title eight years ago. Schwartzman is ranked 157th in the world.
Nadal was greeted by loud cheers from the sold-out crowd. "Playing in a stadium like this, with all seats occupied is an honour," he said. "I will fight even harder to move forward."
Nadal was off for seven months with persistent knee problems and has been testing his fitness in clay tournaments this month before he switches to hardcourt events.
He finished with two aces and one double fault and won 70 percent of his first-serve points.
Schwartzman, who was facing a top 10 player for the first time in his career, won just 28 percent of his second-serve points and had his serve broken five times.
Nadal won his 37th clay-court title earlier this month in Sao Paulo, Brazil, beating David Nalbandian in the final.
On Tuesday, a Spanish newspaper reported that world number five Nadal would miss the upcoming ATP World Tour Masters Series events in Indian Wells, California and Miami, Florida.
Nadal's camp and tournament organisers dismissed the report. Nadal is also expected to play a Masters Series event in Monaco in April and compete in Madrid and Rome before the French Open begins at Roland Garros in Paris on May 26. (AFP) - See more at: http://www.geo.tv/GeoDetail.aspx?ID=89949#sthash.Cv72tXGg.dpuf
The militants somehow poisoned those inside the outpost, incapacitating them, before gunning them down Tuesday night, said Abdul Jamhe Jamhe, a leader of the Ghazni provincial government.
The method of poisoning was unclear, he added.
The dead included 10 members of the government-backed Afghan local police, and seven of their civilian friends, said Provincial Gov. Musa Khan Akbarzada. He says there was a conspiracy of some sort but declined to confirm if poison was involved.
The lightly trained Afghan Local Police, a village-level force backed by US troops and overseen by the Ministry of the Interior, is tasked with helping bring security to remote areas. But Afghan President Hamid Karzai has expressed concern that without careful vetting, the program could end up arming local troublemakers, strongmen or criminals.
Taliban spokesman Zabiullah Mujahid claimed responsibility for the attack.
He told news agency the Associated Press by telephone that the attackers shot the men dead in their sleep but that no poison was involved.
Mujahid also claimed responsibility for a bombing in Kabul earlier in the day that wounded up to ten people.
The attacks come three days after a would-be car bomber was shot dead by police in downtown Kabul. That assailant was driving a vehicle packed with explosives and officials said he appeared to be targeting an intelligence agency office.
It also comes as the US-led military coalition in the country is backing off from its claim that Taliban attacks dropped in 2012, tacitly acknowledging a hole in its widely repeated argument that violence is easing and that the insurgency is in steep decline.
ACAPULCO:
Former world number one Rafael Nadal began his quest for a 38th
clay-court title, dominating Diego Sebastian Schwartzman 6-2, 6-2 in his
opening-round match at the ATP Tour's Acapulco event Tuesday.
Nadal, who recently returned to the court after a seven-month injury layoff, needed just 68 minutes to oust Schwartzman, who at 20 was the youngest player in the men's draw.
The 11-time Grand Slam champion Nadal, advances to the second round where he will face his second consecutive Argentinean qualifier, 27-year-old Martin Alund.
Nadal improved to 34-1 on clay against players ranked outside the top 100 as he makes his first appearance in Acapulco since claiming the title eight years ago. Schwartzman is ranked 157th in the world.
Nadal was greeted by loud cheers from the sold-out crowd. "Playing in a stadium like this, with all seats occupied is an honour," he said. "I will fight even harder to move forward."
Nadal was off for seven months with persistent knee problems and has been testing his fitness in clay tournaments this month before he switches to hardcourt events.
He finished with two aces and one double fault and won 70 percent of his first-serve points.
Schwartzman, who was facing a top 10 player for the first time in his career, won just 28 percent of his second-serve points and had his serve broken five times.
Nadal won his 37th clay-court title earlier this month in Sao Paulo, Brazil, beating David Nalbandian in the final.
On Tuesday, a Spanish newspaper reported that world number five Nadal would miss the upcoming ATP World Tour Masters Series events in Indian Wells, California and Miami, Florida.
Nadal's camp and tournament organisers dismissed the report. Nadal is also expected to play a Masters Series event in Monaco in April and compete in Madrid and Rome before the French Open begins at Roland Garros in Paris on May 26. (AFP) - See more at: http://www.geo.tv/GeoDetail.aspx?ID=89949#sthash.Cv72tXGg.dpuf
Nadal, who recently returned to the court after a seven-month injury layoff, needed just 68 minutes to oust Schwartzman, who at 20 was the youngest player in the men's draw.
The 11-time Grand Slam champion Nadal, advances to the second round where he will face his second consecutive Argentinean qualifier, 27-year-old Martin Alund.
Nadal improved to 34-1 on clay against players ranked outside the top 100 as he makes his first appearance in Acapulco since claiming the title eight years ago. Schwartzman is ranked 157th in the world.
Nadal was greeted by loud cheers from the sold-out crowd. "Playing in a stadium like this, with all seats occupied is an honour," he said. "I will fight even harder to move forward."
Nadal was off for seven months with persistent knee problems and has been testing his fitness in clay tournaments this month before he switches to hardcourt events.
He finished with two aces and one double fault and won 70 percent of his first-serve points.
Schwartzman, who was facing a top 10 player for the first time in his career, won just 28 percent of his second-serve points and had his serve broken five times.
Nadal won his 37th clay-court title earlier this month in Sao Paulo, Brazil, beating David Nalbandian in the final.
On Tuesday, a Spanish newspaper reported that world number five Nadal would miss the upcoming ATP World Tour Masters Series events in Indian Wells, California and Miami, Florida.
Nadal's camp and tournament organisers dismissed the report. Nadal is also expected to play a Masters Series event in Monaco in April and compete in Madrid and Rome before the French Open begins at Roland Garros in Paris on May 26. (AFP) - See more at: http://www.geo.tv/GeoDetail.aspx?ID=89949#sthash.Cv72tXGg.dpuf
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