Winning singles return for Nadal
Rafael Nadal saw off Federico Delbonis in straight sets in his first singles match since recovering from injury.
Rafael Nadal secured a victory over Federico Delbonis in his first competitive singles match following a lengthy spell on the sidelines with a serious knee problem.
The Spaniard secured a doubles victory alongside Juan Monaco earlier this week and stepped up his comeback with a comfortable straight sets victory over Delbonis, with a 6-3 6-2 win over the Argentine at the VTR Open in Chile.
Nadal admitted he found the match tough in the early stages but revealed he was happy with how his knee felt.
"The beginning was tough and Federico played at a very high level," he told the ATP's website.
"I ran a lot and I'm happy because the knee held up well.
"I'm happy to play a singles match after so long. I need days and time to get my game back, but so far the feeling on court is great."
The 11-time Grand Slam champion will be keen to force his way back up the rankings having slipped to world number five during his injury absence.
Nadal is 1.83 to win this year's French Open and 5.00 to emerge victorious at Wimbledon.
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