Rafael Nadal wins in Olympic singles and will play rival Novak Djokovic on Monday

BY HOWARD FENDRICH

PARIS (AP) — The fans’ first standing ovation for Rafael Nadal occurred when he wasn’t even in their presence, merely an image shown on a video screen as he waited in a stadium hallway to walk out on the court used for the Paris Olympics and the French Open, a tournament he made his domain.

They stayed on their feet, some applauding, some raising their phones to capture images of the moment when he emerged and stepped on the red clay so familiar to him. Chants of “Ra-fa! Ra-fa!” rang out at various times, and plenty of red-and-yellow Spanish flags flapped in the stands, as Nadal beat Marton Fucsovics of Hungary 6-1, 4-6, 6-4 in the first round Sunday to set up a blockbuster showdown against rival Novak Djokovic at the Summer Games.

“It’s been always super special to play against Novak, no? No doubt about that.