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Nadal got off to a sluggish start in his
first-round match and needed a tie-breaker to capture the
opening set against 85th-ranked Serbian Dusan Lajovic on
Tuesday.
The Spaniard, who is renowned for his strict on-court routines,
complained about the noise of the rowdy audience at his match,
the din amplified by the closed roof on Arthur Ashe Stadium to
protect the players from rain.
The 31-year-old Spaniard ultimately settled down to dispatch
Lajovic 7-6(6) 6-2 6-2 but may need a better effort to advance
past the 24-year-old Daniel.
Nadal should be fresher than his Japanese opponent, who will be
working on short rest after defeating American Tommy Paul in
five sets on Wednesday with Daniel edging the seesaw first-round
battle 6-1 4-6 4-6 6-2 6-2.
With no rain forecast, the $100 million roof that contributed to
Nadal's annoyance in the first round should be wide open.
Should Nadal complete an expected victory on Thursday, he will
move one step closer to a possible showdown against
long-standing rival, number three seed Roger Federer.
The tournament's two best-known players could meet for their
first ever U.S. Open clash if they make it as far as the
semi-finals, adding to a series that Nadal leads 23-14 in
head-to-head encounters since their first in 2004.
(Reporting by Rory Carroll; Editing by John O'Brien)
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