January 04, (THEWILL) – Tennis icon Rafael Nadal, continued his comeback from injury at the Brisbane International on Thursday, dismantling Australian Jason Kubler 6-1 6-2. The Spaniard was aggressive and determined, taking just 83 minutes, to claim the straight-sets victory in hot and humid conditions.
The 37-year-old Nadal has been sidelined with injury struggles, undergoing two hip surgeries which kept him out of competition since the Australian Open a year ago. However, his performances in Brisbane this week suggest he could pose a real threat at the upcoming Australian Open.
Nadal stormed to a 5-0 lead in the opening set, then broke Kubler’s serve, to start the second as he dominated with his baseline game. “I started very well, with good determination. I tried to be aggressive and I think it worked very well,” commented Nadal after the win.
While admitting to some muscular tiredness, he was largely positive about how his body has held up with the return to competition. The Spaniard did receive a time violation warning for taking too long returning from a bathroom break, citing the extreme humidity forcing him into a full change of clothes.
Nadal, a 22-time Grand Slam champion, will continue his comeback against Australian Jordan Thompson in the quarterfinals. He remains on course for a semifinal showdown with second seed Grigor Dimitrov, who also won comfortably on Thursday. If Nadal lifts the Brisbane trophy, it would mark an impressive return for a player who claimed he had no expectations coming into the event.
Jude Obafemi is a versatile senior Correspondent at THEWILL Newspapers, excelling in sourcing, researching, and delivering sports news stories for both print and digital publications.