Much better, Rafa ...

Looking resplendent in blue, Rafa took to the court after the camera had given us a very obliging shot of his bottom to face the New York afternoon sunshine and his French opponent, Nicholas Mahut.

Mahut has a big serve and likes to play a bit of serve and volley tennis, so the pundits were expecting shorter points and not so many rallies. Well, Mahut's serve came to evidence pretty quickly, and Rafa was really struggling to get a read on it. Worse still, he was facing early break points on his, but he managed to hold on and ultimately kept himself unbroken for the match.

But there was more purpose about Rafa last night, more ... bite. And I was pleased to read that he went out there with a game plan, and executed it ...

"I think I did a few things much better than in the first match, I improved for sure. I think I played a good match against not an easy opponent. I tried to play my strategy and have control of the points with my forehand and tried to play a little bit more aggressive when I had the chance. I did what I really wanted to improve from the first match."

Rafa's big USO serve was also in evidence and he was actually drawing applause from Toni at several points in the point. A couple of breaks in both sets gave Rafa an impressive (and quick) 6-2, 6-2 lead, when at the end of the second set, Mahut called the trainer on, had an MTO ... and walked.

Now whilst time on court and matches under his belt are perhaps the way for Rafa to find his much needed form and confidence, it was still a good work out. But for me, to hear that Rafa went out with a game plan, kept executing his tactics and as a consequence, he didn't look lost out there, he just knew he had to keep on doing what he was he was doing and he would get results ... that was the bonus. We've seen it too often where Rafa loses his way and just stands at the backboard and just hits and hits in the hope that enough mistakes by his opponent will see him through. But he was the aggressor last night, and even for that, he only made 5 unforced errors in the 2 sets which is great, along with 24 winners.

A big test awaits him next in the guise of David Nalbandian ... the man who beat Rafa a couple of times before he reversed the trend. He's a difficult character on hardcourts, ut at least what we saw from him last night was positive and so much better. Keep going Rafa ...