Barcelona, Apr 17 (FN Agency) Rafael Nadal won his first match after a three-month absence through injury, beating Italian Flavio Cobolli in Barcelona Open round of 32. Cheered on by a partizan crowd in Barcelona, Nadal enjoyed a comfortable return to action with a 6-2, 6-3 against the world number 62 on Tuesday. In his first match since early January, Nadal showcased great service and forehand as he was also able to move comfortably across court after his injury problems. “It was a good start,” said Nadal afterwards, but he admitted, “when you return after months out, you don’t clear your doubts in a day – especially on a physical level.” Nadal’s latest injury, a muscle tear in his hip in early January, limited his movement and was especially problematic as he served.
“I haven’t been able to serve for a few months and although I am very excited to play here and domy best, I am not going to start serving like a madman. I have to take things with caution,” he explained. The Spaniad will have a tougher test in the second round against 11th ranked, Alex de Minaur. “I don’t know what to expect,” said Nadal, who has won 12 titles in Barcelona. “This is a moment when it’s not easy to approach things in a very specific way. It was like a jungle out there today asI didn’t know what I would find referring to my body.” “I’m not sure that I’ll be able to keep up the pace, but I’ll try,” he concluded. Also on Tuesday, China’s Shang Juncheng lost 6-4, 6-4 to Tomas Machac of the Czech Republic.