Rafael Nadal was brought back down to earth with a bump by Dustin Brown in Halle. Four days after winning the French Open for a record ninth time, Nadal lost his opening match on grass of the year 6-4, 6-1 in less than an hour, London’s Guardian reports.

Brown, the flamboyant and big-hitting Jamaican-German, was not the man Nadal would have wanted to meet as he tried to find his feet on the grass. The world No1 looked to have adjusted well in the first set but Brown, who beat Lleyton Hewitt at Wimbledon last year, broke serve in the 10th game and did not look back.

In the opening five games of the second set, Nadal won just five points and, although he stopped the rot eventually, 85th-ranked Brown confidently served out for the best win of his life.

Nadal had said before leaving Paris that his expectations for the Gerry Weber Open were not high but, having won just one match in two years at Wimbledon, it is hardly ideal preparation.

For the original report go to http://www.theguardian.com/sport/2014/jun/12/rafael-nadal-dustin-brown-wins-halle