A victory that I needed: Rafael Nadal

Rafael Nadal is alive and kicking at the Australian Open after running Jack Draper into the ground.

Rafael Nadal called on all his fist-pumping, lawnmower-ripping, full-throated, lion-hearted, brow-furrowing, vein-popping powers of determination and desperation to stare down the young Englishman Jack Draper in an opening-round triumph that proved the great Spaniard was prepared to fight tooth, nail and thunderous forehand to retain his Australian Open title.

The 21-year-old Draper was dressed in all-white gear as if he was appearing in an Ashes Test. He could barely have been less popular to his Melbourne audience if he was Jack Leach at the MCG or Jack the Ripper in a darkened alley. Nothing personal, of course. Draper’s likeable and a hell of a player and curves his left-arm serves like Mitchell Starc swings a new ball, but Nadal’s popularity knows no bounds. A full house of 15,000 inside Rod Laver Arena gave the 22-time major champion a deafening ovation for merely removing his tracksuit top before the warm-up.

It was just the third game of what became a gruelling three-hour, four-set battle when Nadal pulled the cord on the imaginary lawnmower he uses to celebrate points of the most importance. Form and fitness were fragile after an average preparation but he threw himself wholeheartedly into the occasion. He struck it unlucky in the draw – the rapidly improving Draper was arguably the most dangerous unseeded player at Melbourne Park. They traded blows and the first two sets before really getting down and dirty, only for Draper to pull up lame in the 7-5 2-6 6-4 6-1 result.

Nadal grunted and groaned like he only had one more shot left in his aching body. He sounded knackered after about eight minutes but kept ripping the ball. That forehand. Holy moly. He grimaced when things became a struggle but marched around the arena as if sheer willpower could trigger a win. He scraped through the third set but dropped his opening serve in the fourth set as shadows crept across the court like Father Time encroaching on his career.

He exaggerated his grunting after forehand winners like a soldier thrusting a dagger into the heart of an enemy. It was bloody loud inside RLA as the masses rode Nadal’s highs and lows. If he lost a point, the air was filled with the better part of 15,000 groans. As he stomped to victory in the fourth set, folks roared like a local favourite was winning the Melbourne Cup. Nick Kyrgios withdrew from the Open while all this was going on. The event couldn’t afford to lose another drawcard. “C’arn, Rafa!” was a constant refrain. You wouldn’t have blamed tournament boss Craig Tiley for chiming in.

Nadal had his man in the fourth game of the final set. It was 2-1 to Nadal and deuce on Draper’s lethal serve. They entered a long baseline rally that resembled an arm wrestle. Nadal thumped so many heavy groundstrokes that Draper was unable to run for the last offering. Nadal’s eyes grew wide. Draper was out on his feet, cramping. Nadal broke for 3-1 and Draper could barely walk.

Sympathy was not high on Nadal’s agenda as Draper limped back and forth as if he was the 36-year-old veteran. The youngster’s discomfort only put a spring in Nadal’s step. At 4-1, he licked his lips while staring at his injured opponent. He might have leapt the net and eaten him alive. Draper could only serve at half pace. He could barely run.

All of which proved how damn difficult it is to beat Nadal. You have to play at a giddily high level. You have to keep it up for three or four hours. You have to have a lot of miles in the legs or Nadal will grind you into the dirt like a cigarette stub under his shoe. He sealed match point and pulled the cord on one last lawnmower. He’s alive and kicking at his 18th Open.

“If we put in perspective all the situations I went through the last six months … the last couple of months haven’t been easy but hopefully this will help me,” Nadal said. “I’m just super happy.”