Rafael Nadal (Photo : Getty Images)
Rafael Nadal will hope to continue his untroubled start at the US Open when he faces Italy's Andreas Seppi in the second round of the tournament at Arthur Ashe Stadium on Wednesday.
Nadal was off to an impressive start at the 2016 US Open, defeating Uzbekistan's Denis Istomin in straight sets 6-1 6-4 6-2. Nadal, who is chasing his third title of 2016, admitted he was nervous approaching a big first-round match, although the 14-time Grand Slam winner insisted it is a sign of hunger.
"If you are not nervous a little bit it's time to say goodbye. That's the real thing," Nadal said, reports the ATP's official website. "You need to be nervous. That's part of the competition.
"If you don't feel that then it's because you really don't want to win as much as you need or you are not afraid about the loss. When you don't have those feelings it's because you don't have enough motivation for what you are doing."
Nadal attempts to maintain his composure when he plays Seppi in round of 64 of the final Grand Slam event of the year in New York. Seppi, who ranks No. 87 in the world, needed four sets to defeat French Stephane Robert 6-2 3-6 6-4 6-3.
Nadal leads Seppi by 7-1 in their FedEx ATP Head2Head career singles matchup, including wins in their last five meetings. Their most recent outing was at the 2016 Rio Olympics, where Nadal beat Seppi in Round of 32 of the quadrennial sporting event.
The winner between Nadal and Seppi would get to face either Andrey Kuznetsov of Russia or Spain's Albert Ramos-Vinolas.
Meanwhile, third seed Stan Wawrinka managed a straight sets victory over Fernando Verdasco 7-6(4) 6-4 6-4 in their opening round encounter. Wawrinka, who had to skip the Olympic Games due to back injury, hit seven winners and seven aces to dealt Verdasco a rare first-round loss.
"I'm really happy. I think it was a great match, especially for first round," Wawrinka said, reports Reuters. "You never expect to play your best game and (be) full of confidence, but I think the level was quite high."
Wawrinka will face Italy's Alessandro Giannessi in the second round of the US Open, with the winner having the chance to battle Alexander Zverev of Germany or Britain's Dan Evans in the next stage.
Live streaming info and score updates
Watch US Open 2016: Rafael Nadal vs Andreas Seppi live via WatchESPN or visit the US Open's official website. Live scores will be available during game days at the US Open's official website.
