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YEREVAN, AUGUST 31, ARMENPRESS. Returning to the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center for the first time since 2019,Rafael Nadalturned back an upset bid from Australian wild cardRinky Hijikataon Tuesday night, 4-6, 6-2, 6-3, 6-3.
The No. 2 seed is now a perfect 20-0 in Grand Slam play this season with titles at the Australian Open and Roland Garros, his lone setback a semifinal pull-out at Wimbledon due to an abdominal tear, an injury that cost him a shot at the calendar-year Grand Slam.
“It’s been a long wait,” said the Spaniard, some 1,087 days removed from his last appearance in Flushing Meadows. “For some time, I thought maybe I wouldn’t be able to come back. But here I am. I’m super happy. The night sessions here in New York are the best without a doubt,” the US Open quoted Nadal as saying.