Rafael Nadal comeback continues with second win as he beats Jason Kubler at Brisbane International
Rafael Nadal continued his comeback with a second consecutive victory at the Brisbane International on Thursday.
The Spaniard beat local hope Jason Kubler 6-1 6-2 to advance to the quarter-finals, where he will next face Jordan Thompson.
Nadal, 37, had been kept out of the sport for a year as he recovered from a hip injury but after a comprehensive win over Dominic Thiem earlier this week, he was similarly dominant against Kubler.
Nadal racked up 20 winners, including some ripping forehands, and eight unforced errors.
He hit volleys and half-volleys and overheads. He scrambled to chase drop shots and covered the baseline without any visible signs of the injury.
In fact he lost only one point in his first three service games – a double-fault on the second point of the match. But he was also able to dig himself out of a hole by winning five straight points when he faced three break points while serving for the first set.
“I think I started the match playing very well. I played with very good determination,” he said afterwards.
“I saw videos of Jason before the match and I saw him play solid from the baseline so I came on court trying to be aggressive and played my shots from the baseline and did very well.
Nadal’s comeback from injury continues with two consecutive singles victories
“I think it was a very positive match for me and having the chance to play again tomorrow means a lot to me.
“Two victories after being a long time outside of the professional tour is something that makes me feel good and I’m happy for that.
“I need matches, I need health, I need to keep practising well and of course the last two matches here helps, and even the doubles on the first day too. Of course victories and hours on court help.
“For me every chance that I have to play is great news. I’m just happy for that, happy that I came back after a long time and I feel myself competitive. That’s all I want and then let’s see what’s going on and how far I can go.”
Nadal handled the action on the court, but was warned for taking too long for a toilet break.
“I came out at the right time,” he insisted. “I thought I was on time, then he told me I was four seconds late. I am slow, I know that, and I’m going to be keep trying to improve that in 2024.”
Britain’s Liam Broady plays Andrey Rublev in the Hong Kong Open live on Sky Sports Main Event right now.
