Rafael Nadal of Spain waves to the group in his match in opposition to Dominic Thiem of Austria in the course of the Brisbane Worldwide tennis match in Brisbane, Australia, Tuesday, Jan. 2, 2024. (AP Photograph/Tertius Pickard)
BRISBANE, Australia — Rafael Nadal confirmed no indicators of rust from his yr off the tour, successful his return match over former No. 3-ranked Dominic Thiem 7-5, 6-1 on the Brisbane Worldwide on Tuesday.
The 22-time main winner hadn’t performed a singles match on the elite degree since a second-round exit on the Australian Open final January.
He didn’t present it. The 37-year-old Nadal made simply six unforced errors and dropped solely three factors on his serve within the first set. He gained eight of the final 9 video games to clinch victory in 89 minutes.
Now ranked No. 672 and taking part in on a wild card in Brisbane after a protracted rehabilitation from a hip damage, Nadal mentioned the final 12 months had been among the many hardest of his skilled profession.
“Right this moment is actually an emotional and essential day for me,” he mentioned in a post-match TV interview. “It was a really constructive degree (for) the primary day.”
Within the opening match of the day on the coated Pat Rafter Enviornment, No. 51-ranked Yannick Hanfmann of Germany beat fifth-seeded Sebastian Korda 7-5, 6-4 in a first-round contest.
Within the girls’s draw, 2020 Australian Open winner Sofia Kenin was upset by No. 113-ranked Arina Rodionova 7-5, 7-6 (7) within the second spherical.
Kenin was continuously below stress on her serve regardless of having possibilities in each units in opposition to Rodionova, a 34-year-old Australian who has by no means been ranked within the prime 100.
Kenin was seeded 14th in Brisbane, a key tune-up match for the Australian Open beginning Jan. 14 in Melbourne.
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