French Open: Rafael Nadal Racks up 60th Win Despite Snub
World number one Rafael Nadal cruised to a 6-0, 6-3, 6-0 win over US wildcard Robby Ginepri, the world 279 and former top 30 player who has not won a match on tour all year.
Defending champion Rafael Nadal stormed to his 60th win at the French Open on Monday, shrugging off the controversy over his demotion from Roland Garros's showpiece court.
The world number one cruised to a 6-0, 6-3, 6-0 win over US wildcard Robby Ginepri, the world 279 and former top 30 player who has not won a match on tour all year.
Nadal kicked off his campaign for a ninth French Open title on the secondary Suzanne Lenglen court while title rival Novak Djokovic and Australian Open champion Stan Wawrinka were handed top billing on the main Philippe Chatrier arena.
It was a decision blasted as "bizarre" by one fellow professional even though Nadal himself had criticised the state of the newly-laid clay on Chatrier after a weekend practice session.
Despite the controversy, it was business as usual for Nadal who is bidding to become the first man in history to win five consecutive Roland Garros titles.
He fired 27 winners past Ginepri, a semi-finalist at the 2005 US Open and whose challenge was undone by 41 unforced errors and by offering up 19 break points.
Nadal goes on to face either Paul-Henri Mathieu of France or highly-rated Dominic Thiem of Austria.