Nadal delivers stunning win over De Minaur to advance in Madrid

Rafael Nadal prolonged his farewell at the Madrid Open on Saturday by easily defeating Alex de Minaur in straight sets, seeking revenge for his previous loss to the Australian in Barcelona.

This marks the second time in two weeks that Nadal has faced De Minaur, but this time the outcome was in his favor. As a result, the 22-time Grand Slam champion will now face Argentina's Pedro Cachin in the third round.

Despite admitting to struggling with various physical issues leading up to the tournament, Nadal displayed an impressive performance against the world number 11.

The match took place in front of a packed crowd, including the King of Spain, Zinedine Zidane, and Vinicius Junior. Nadal's victory was hard-fought, but he was quick to dismiss any notion that he had returned to his prime form.

When asked about his performance, Nadal stated, "No, not yet. It needs time." He acknowledged that there were moments of good tennis, but also inconsistencies. Playing for over two hours meant a lot to him, and he praised the incredible atmosphere at the tournament.

Nadal emphasized that his recent struggles have been more related to physical issues rather than his tennis skills. He expressed the need to play consistently for several weeks in order to gauge his competitiveness.

However, he acknowledged that he is not yet at that stage and emphasized the importance of taking things step by step and focusing on his recovery.

During the match, Nadal faced a controversial moment when umpire Fergus Murphy denied his challenge on a ball from De Minaur that was incorrectly called in.

Nadal argued that he had clearly indicated his intention to challenge by stopping and circling the mark with his racquet. Despite his protests and request to speak to the supervisor, Murphy stood firm, resulting in De Minaur breaking back and leveling the score.