BARCELONA-. Rafael Nadal looked good and comfortable in Tuesday’s 6-2, 6-3 victory over Italian Flavio Cobolli at the Barcelona Opentheir first competitive duel in more than three months.
The victory on the center court that bears his name allowed Nadal to reach the second round of the clay tournament that the Spaniard has won a record 12 times. He will now face Alex de Minaur, who received a bye in the first round.
Nadal converted his second match point to seal victory over the 21-year-old Italian, who is ranked 62nd in the world.
Nadal returned after again spending time out with an injury and had not played since his friendly against compatriot Carlos Alcaraz in March. The 22-time Grand Slam winner’s last tournament was in Brisbane in January, where he played three matches before deciding he would skip Australia.
This will surely be the last Barcelona Open for Nadal. The 37-year-old Spaniard underwent hip surgery last summer and admitted that 2024 will likely be his last season on Tour.
RUBLEV FRUSTRATED
Andrey Rublev, the world number 8, slammed his racket on the floor several times after his 6-4, 7-6 (6) loss to American Brandon Nakashima.
This was the third consecutive first-round loss for the second seed, who also lost in straight sets in Monte Carlo and Miami. He also lost in straight sets in the second round at Indian Wells.
This was only the second victory for Nakashima, 22, against an opponent ranked among the top 10 in the world and his first on clay. The world number 87 beat Holger Rune in Shanghai in October.
“I continue to compete as hard as I can,” said Nakashima, who reached 43 in the world in 2022. “I’m happy to get back to my level. Playing in front of these fans and on this field is very special.”
Source: AP
