Rafael Nadal may not have made a winning return to tennis after being sidelined for nearly 12 months with a hip injury, going down in men's doubles alongside Marc Lopez last Sunday, but in the category in which he won 22 Grand Slams and 70 other ATP titles, the Spaniard reigned supreme on Tuesday. Facing familiar rival Dominic Thiem in his Brisbane International opener, the wildcard entrant emerged victoriously at the end of an hour and 30 minutes of high-intensity tennis at the Pat Rafter Arena, winning 7-5, 6-1 to progress to the pre-quarters.

It was Nadal's first competitive singles match in 349 days, having last played in the Australian Open 2023 where he had injured his left hip flexor during a shock second-round loss, before undergoing surgery later in June. But his Brisbane show, in front of a packed crowd, which included his father Sebastian, gave an immediate reminder of what he is capable of. His slick movement and sharp reflexes at the nets were as much noticeable as his lethal forehand.

The opening set looked tight with neither player wanting to concede on serve, especially Nadal, who held to love four times and lost just three points before securing the first break of the match in the 12th game after some loose groundstrokes from Thiem. The 92-time tour-level titlist did let slip the first three in that game, but made no error in securing the fourth to gain a lead in their 16th ATP meeting.

(With inputs from agencies)