Share

Nadal triumphant in return

Rio de Janeiro - Top-ranked Rafael Nadal, playing for the first time since losing last month's Australian Open final, beat fellow Spaniard Daniel Gimeno-Traver 6-3, 7-5 on Tuesday at the Rio Open.

Nadal skipped Buenos Aires last week due to the nagging back injury that hindered his bid for a 14th Grand Slam singles crown last month at Melbourne, where he dropped the final to Swiss Stanislas Wawrinka.

That left his comeback for Rio's $1.3 million ATP and WTA event, one he hopes will launch a clay-court campaign that concludes with a ninth career French Open crown.

It was the 800th match of Nadal's career, making him the sixth active player to reach the mark.

In improving to 670-130, Nadal joined Roger Federer, Lleyton Hewitt, Tommy Haas, David Ferrer and Nikolay Davydenko with at least 800 appearances.

Nadal connected on 57 percent of his first serves and won 77 of his first-serve points and 65 percent of those on his second serve, surrendering only one break and breaking his 84th-ranked rival in the penultimate game to advance after one hour and 40 minutes.

Nadal was broken in the second game of the second set but answered by breaking back in the third game and again in the 11th, then served out for the victory, improving to 10-0 on Brazilian soil, a run that includes titles in 2005 at Costa do Sauipe and last year at Sao Paulo.

Next up for the 27-year-old lefthander from Mallorca is another compatriot, 72nd-ranked Albert Montanes, who ousted Dutchman Robin Haase 6-1, 7-6 (7/4).

Yet another Spaniard, second seed Ferrer, could await Nadal in the final. Ferrer launched his bid for a Rio crown by downing Frenchman Jeremy Chardy 6-2, 6-3.

Results on Tuesday from the second day of the WTA and ATP Rio Open (x denotes seeding):

Women

1st rd

Lourdes Dominguez (ESP) bt Francesca Schiavone (ITA) 6-4, 6-4

Klara Zakopalova (CZE x1) bt Mariana Duque (COL) 6-4, 6-4

Dinah Pfizenmaier (GER) bt Barbora Zahlavova Strycova (CZE) 2-6, 6-4, 6-3

Chanelle Scheepers (RSA) bt Timea Babos (HUN) 2-6, 6-3, 6-2

Irina-Camelia Begu (ROM) bt Vania King (USA x8) 6-4, 6-0

Teliana Pereira (BRA) bt Alexandra Cadantu (ROM x4) 6-3, 6-4

Veronica Cepede Royg (PAR) bt Paula Cristina Goncalves (BRA) 7-5, 7-6 (10/8)

Patricia Mayr-Achleitner (AUT) bt Yaroslava Shvedova (KAZ) 6-4, 6-3

Men

1st rd

Tommy Robredo (ESP x4) bt Pablo Carreno (ESP) 7-6 (7/5), 6-3

Oleksandr Dolgopolov (UKR) bt Nicolas Almagro (ESP x5) 2-6, 6-3, 6-0

Albert Ramos (ESP) bt Leonardo Mayer (ARG) 6-2, 6-0

Joao Sousa (POR) bt Marcel Granollers (ESP x6) 2-6, 6-3, 7-5

Pablo Andujar (ESP x8) bt Julian Reister (GER) 6-4, 6-3

Pablo Cuevas (URU) bt Alejandro Gonzalez (COL) 6-7 (0/7), 6-1, 6-3

Fabio Fognini (ITA x3) bt Aljaz Bedene (SLO) 7-6 (7/5), 0-6, 6-1

Juan Monaco (ARG x7) bt Horacio Zeballos (ARG) 6-3, 6-1

David Ferrer (ESP x2) bt Jeremy Chardy (FRA) 6-2, 6-3

Albert Montanes (ESP) bt Robin Haase (NED) 6-1, 7-6 (7/4)

Rafael Nadal (ESP x1) bt Daniel Gimeno-Traver (ESP) 6-3, 7-5

We live in a world where facts and fiction get blurred
Who we choose to trust can have a profound impact on our lives. Join thousands of devoted South Africans who look to News24 to bring them news they can trust every day. As we celebrate 25 years, become a News24 subscriber as we strive to keep you informed, inspired and empowered.
Join News24 today
heading
description
username
Show Comments ()
Voting Booth
Should Siya Kolisi keep the captaincy as the Springboks build towards their World Cup title defence in 2027?
Please select an option Oops! Something went wrong, please try again later.
Results
Yes! Siya will only be 36 at the next World Cup. He can make it!
25% - 1273 votes
No! I think the smart thing to do is start again with a younger skipper ...
29% - 1471 votes
I'd keep Siya captain for now, but look to have someone else for 2027.
45% - 2250 votes
Vote
Editorial feedback and complaints

Contact the public editor with feedback for our journalists, complaints, queries or suggestions about articles on News24.

LEARN MORE