ACAPULCO, Mexico, Feb 23, 2022 (BSS/AFP) - Rafael Nadal made a triumphant
return to the ATP Tour on Tuesday, winning his first tournament match since
capturing the Australian Open title to reach the second round of the Mexican
Open.
The 35-year-old Spanish left-hander defeated US lucky loser Dennis Kudla 6-
3, 6-2 to book a date with another American who advanced in similar fashion,
Nadal practice partner Stefan Kozlov, in the last 16.
Nadal won his men's record 21st Grand Slam title at last month's Australian
Open, breaking the career mark he had shared with Novak Djokovic and Roger
Federer.
World number five Nadal broke 100th-ranked Kudla in the fourth game for a
3-1 lead and held from there to claim the first set of their first career
meeting.
When Kudla sent a forehand long to surrender the first break of the second
set, Nadal seized a 2-1 lead and held at love to 3-1.
Nadal broke again for a 4-1 edge and held twice more, claiming the victory
on a forehand winner after one hour and 16 minutes.
Nadal fired eight aces and won 36 of 40 points on his serve in the
dominating outing.
The Spaniard seeks his 91st career ATP title and third of the year, having
also won a Slam tuneup tournament at Melbourne.
Russian top seed Daniil Medvedev, the reigning US Open champion whom Nadal
rallied to beat in five sets in the Australian Open final, began his Acapulco
run with a 6-3, 6-4 victory over Frenchman Benoit Paire.