Australian Open: Injured Rafael Nadal's title defence ends in second round defeat to Macknezie McDonald

Melbourne, January 18: Reigning champion Rafael Nadal's Australian Open title defence ended on Wednesday (January 18) following injury and a straight sets defeat to Mackenzie McDonald at the Rod Laver Arena in Melbourne.

The 22-time Grand Slam champion and number one seed suffered a 4-6, 4-6, 5-7 to World No. 65 American McDonald in the men's singles second round match that lasted for two hours and 32 minutes.

The two-time Australian Open winner trailed McDonald 4-6 3-5 when he took a medical time-out after pulling up chasing a forehand, looking to have sustained a left hip or glute injury.

There were ominous signs early on as number one seed Nadal had his serve broken in the opening game of the match, and McDonald secured a second break en route to wrapping up the first set.

It was more of the same in the second as McDonald took advantage of some uncharacteristically sloppy play from the 36-year-old, before Nadal seemed to hurt himself.

At 4-3 down in the second set, Nadal pulled up with an apparent upper leg issue after chasing a forehand, and his movement was clearly hampered from that point on.

In typical defiant fashion, Nadal's level rose in the third, hitting 24 winners, but as he improved, so did McDonald, who did not allow Nadal a single break point opportunity.

The 22-time grand slam champion saved break point at 4-4 to hold serve as he tried to get back into the contest, but was unable to repeat the trick in his next service game as McDonald secured the break before serving out to clinch a famous win.

It is the latest in a troubling run of form for Nadal, who received multiple injury timeouts on his way to a seventh loss from his last 10 matches dating back to the US Open.

The 36-year-old had defeated Great Britain's Jack Draper 7-5, 2-6, 6-4, 6-1 in the opening round of this year's tournament, but the title defence did not last longer.

This was Nadal's earliest exit at a major since being ousted by countryman Fernando Verdasco in the first round at Melbourne Park seven years ago.

The result also means Nadal is the first top seed to be eliminated from the Australian Open in the second round since Gustavo Kuerten in 2001.

McDonald, who produced one of the upsets of the Australian Open, will next face the winner of the second round match between Japanese 31st seed Yoshihito Nishioka and Czech qualifier Dalibor Svrcina in the third round on Friday (January 20).

(With OPTA inputs)