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The return of the world number five, playing his first tournament since he was beaten in the second round at Wimbledon by Czech journeyman Lukas Rosol in late June, is the focus of attention at the US$410 200 tournament.
In a warm-up for his long awaited singles match scheduled for yesterday, Nadal teamed with Monaco to post a 6-3, 6-2 victory in just 65 minutes over second seeds Frantisek Cermak and Lukas Dlouhy in the first round of the doubles.
As the top seed, the 11-time Grand Slam champion enjoyed a first-round singles bye and will open his singles campaign with a second-round clash against Argentine qualifier Federico Delbonis. He beat compatriot Guido Pella 2-6, 7-6 (7/4), 7-6 (7/1).
“It was a great feeling to play again and I’m very happy for doing it with a friend like Monaco in a great atmosphere that we had on the court,” Nadal said.
“In doubles the effort is always less. We will see how it goes in singles and how my physical condition is.”
Nadal, who will be 27 in June, has been careful to play down expectations, saying he still has some pain from his troublesome knees and doesn’t expect to immediately rediscover his old winning ways. – AFP.
Online Reporter