BRISBANE (AP) – Rafael Nadal’s comeback from a year-long injury layoff reached the Brisbane International quarterfinals after dominating Jason Kubler 6-1, 6-2 yesterday.
The 22-time major winner is playing on a wild card after his ranking slipped into the 600s as he recovered from hip surgery, and he’s desperate for match time ahead of the Australian Open this month.
“It means a lot to me,” Nadal said, “and two victories after a long time being outside of the professional tour is something that, yeah, makes me feel good and happy.”
“I came on court trying to be aggressive with my shots from the baseline and it worked very well,” Nadal said in an on-court TV interview. “It’s been a very positive match for me, (and I) have the chance to play again tomorrow.”
He’ll play another Australian, Jordan Thompson, in the quarterfinals today. Thompson got a walkover when fourth-seeded Ugo Humbert withdrew from their second-round match because of illness.
