Nine-time champion Rafael Nadal showed little signs of rust when he played his first match in 200 days as he beat fellow Spaniard Pablo Carreno Busta 6-1 6-1 in the Italian Open in Rome. Nadal, who received a bye into the second round, has not played a tournament since winning his 85th singles title in Acapulco, having skipped the Western & Southern Open and the US Open in New York due to COVID-19 concerns.
The match was also Nadal’s first on clay in 465 days after his French Open triumph last year and the 34-year-old sent an ominous message to the field as he dominated the US Open semi-finalist from start at an empty Foro Italico.
“It was a perfect start for me. It was solid, good shots on the forehand and backhand. I didn’t expect to play that well,” said Nadal.
“I played a very solid match and very serious and doing a lot of things very well. So very happy.”
Nadal continues his bid for a record 36th ATP Masters 1000 title when he meets Serbia’s Dusan Lajovic in the third round.
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How to live stream Rafael Nadal vs Dusan Lajovic?
Amazon Prime Video is showing live coverage of the Italian Open in the UK.
This means fans can stream the Nadal vs Lajovic using the Prime Video app or Amazon device.
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